Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Witch
by Naitch03
Summary: It's the end of an era. The war is nearly over, Darth Sidious's plan has nearly come to fruition, and the only hope of the Jedi rests in the hands of the last Summers sister if Darth Traya doesn't kill her first....
1. Prologue: Shattered Lives

**Three Years Later**

**Corellia- Internment Camp 13

* * *

**

Buffy was in heaven.

She moaned pleasantly as strong arms gently wrapped around her slender body as she lay almost-sleeping in their small apartment in Internment Camp 13.

Their apartment.

Buffy never could have foreseen what her life had become over the past two years. Her time actively involved in the war on a large scale had been limited. She had worked with her brother and Obi-Wan on several early missions, fighting back the Separatist forces. She had traveled with Masters Yoda and Windu all over the Core, fortifying positions and building allies. She had especially liked her time with the Wookies. For such large, imposing creatures, they really were giant teddy bears.

It was in the second year of the war that she got her first solo assignment - travel to Corellia, one of the few Core worlds to have fallen in the initial attacks, gather intel, and report back to the Council. It was an easy, in-and-out assignment, with extraction due to take place a mere month after she had landed.

Of course, that was when the Separatists launched full-blown attacks that had put Corellia deep behind enemy lines, and extraction had then proven impossible. So Buffy had moved onto plan 'B'- aid the resistance. And in aiding the resistance, she had met the man who had stolen her heart - Jacen Solo. Rugged, roguish, a daredevil and a hell of a pilot, Jacen was a widower and father of an eleven year old boy named Han. He was the leader of the local group of resistance fighters and, while he was happy for the help Buffy had offered, he wasn't impressed by her status as a Jedi. For this, Buffy was grateful. She had to deal with enough people who practically worshipped her because of what she could do with a lightsaber, and was glad that Jacen seemed to genuinely appreciate her for herself and not her powers.

Over the two years she had been trapped on Corellia, she and Jacen had rapidly fallen in love. It wasn't something she took lightly - her commitment to the Jedi Order expressly forbid her from loving him. And yet she had felt her feelings for the Rebel leader grow deeper, until one day she was forced to make a choice - the Jedi or Jacen. And after what seemed to be two lifetimes of being forced to live for her commitment to her calling, she had decided that, this time, she was due a little happiness. After all, she had seen what duty could do to destroy people. Shortly thereafter, the two were engaged, to be married as soon as Corellia was freed. Buffy had sent her resignation to the Council along with her regular status report hoping, as always, that it made it through the jamming.

Nine months later, their first daughter Joyce was born.

It was two months after that glorious day that Buffy found herself sighing in content as the familiar figure of her fiancé snuggled up behind her and nuzzled her neck.

"Time to wake up, Liza," Jacen said softly, using the nickname he had given her after they had started working together. As Buffy moaned reluctantly, he chuckled. "Come on. We both got jobs to do today."

Buffy shifted in the bed so she was facing him. "What, you're letting me out today?" she teased. "What about Joyce?"

"Han's going to watch her today. Maybe take her to the park later. Don't worry," he said off of her look, "They'll be safe. The Separatists haven't attacked a camp in months, despite what we've been able to do."

Buffy grinned. "But if I stay in bed today, I might convince you to stay in bed…think of the possibilities…"

This time it was Jacen's turn to chuckle. "As inviting as that sounds - and believe me, it does - I'm meeting with the other heads of the resistance. We're planning a massive counter strike to cripple their communications."

"And me?"

"And you get to check out the clearing about three clicks southwest of the camp. Intel said some kind of vessel touched down there last night - might be some kind of droid spy ship."

"And they want someone stealthy to check it out?" Buffy surmised and Jacen nodded.

"Exactly. And here's some news I got earlier today - the Republic has the Separatists on the run. I give it a few more weeks before your back-up finally gets here. And then," he wrapped his arms around the blonde, "you will officially become Mrs. Buffy Solo; and we'll take Han and Joyce out in our ship for a nice, long vacation."

Buffy giggled. "Yeah, I can't wait to finally break that ship in. Especially the stateroom…" Her giggles dissolved as he tightened his grasp on her. Two slim arms reached up to stretch over his neck. The two spent a few more precious minutes on the bed, just kissing and holding one another, before they finally pulled apart.

"But that will be then. For now, I guess it's time I brought out my old clothes."

* * *

Soon after, Buffy emerged from the master bedroom wearing her old Jedi tunic and trousers. She left the robe - she never liked it, as it hindered her movements more than it ever helped to conceal her. Her lightsaber no longer hung from her hip- a modified DL-44 blaster, much like Jacen used, hung there now. She kept her lightsaber in a specially constructed fore-arm holster that, with a flick of her wrist, sent the weapon into her waiting hand. It also kept the easily identifiable weapon concealed until it was needed. 

Buffy walked over to where Han sat on the ground, rocking the tiny baby in his arms. She kneeled down in front of him and smiled.

"Now, I trust you to take good care of your sister, alright?"

"Don't sweat it, Buffy," Han replied with the same casual cockiness his father had. "I'll keep both eyes on her. Maybe show her around the park."

"You do that," Buffy replied. "And when this is all over, and it's time for the big shake down cruise, I'll talk to your father and see if he won't let you fly it around some." She knew of Han's desire to be an ace pilot just like his father, and it warmed her heart to see the elation spread across his face.

"Cool!" Han exclaimed. Buffy chuckled, then leaned down and kissed her daughter on the forehead, then ruffled Han's hair. "You take care of yourself, fly-boy. And you," Buffy stated, standing and turning to Jacen, "I'll see you later."

Jacen smirked and walked over, dipping his face to hers. "I'm looking forward to it."

* * *

Buffy was crouched low behind a bush, peering at the oddly-shaped craft that sat in the clearing. It was clearly a Republic craft, and it looked like one of the ARC fighters that had been in development when she had initially come to this planet. 

_Guess they started making them, _she mused, carefully watching the ship, waiting for the owners to come back. She didn't have to wait long - soon after she had found the ship, she felt a familiar presence sneaking up behind her. Still, she kept absolutely still, her eyes never wavering from the ship, not even when she heard the snap-hiss of a lightsaber activating, and saw the blue blade appear close to her right cheek.

"Careless, much?" a familiar voice quipped. Buffy smiled.

"Look down."

There was a moment's pause and then the voice spoke again. "Ching-wah TSAO duh liou mahng…"

The lightsaber deactivated, and Buffy rose and turned to face her brother, who was doing his best not to move. She crossed her arms and smirked in clear superiority while Anakin shot an annoyed glare at her.

"Land mines? You set landmines around yourself?"

"Yeah, well… I didn't want any bad people sneaking up on me," Buffy replied.

"And I'm suddenly a bad person?"

"Bad at watching where you're going, at any rate." She looked at her brother, noting the longer hair and scar over his left eye that so eerily mirrored her own. "Copycat," she said, motioning to the scar.

Anakin rolled his eyes. "Please, I make this look good. Now could you please deactivate it?"

Buffy raised an eyebrow. "Are you a Jedi or aren't you?"

Anakin paused, and then rolled his eyes once more in annoyance. He waved his hand over the device and used the Force to deactivate it. Then, without warning, he scooped the smaller blonde up in his arms and gave her a fierce hug.

"I was so worried about you, Buffy," he said as she hugged him back. "We've been trying for nearly two years to break through to Corellia."

"I don't doubt it. Jacen said that the Republic had finally broken through and was coming here this morning."

Anakin looked at her in confusion. "Jacen?" he asked uncertainly. Buffy looked at him, and then sighed.

"I take it none of my reports have gone through?"

"No," another voice replied from behind. Buffy spun, and came face to face with Obi-Wan Kenobi. She took in the cut of his robes (as well as his hair), and nodded her head in respect.

"Master Kenobi, I presume?" she asked, then glanced back at her brother and saw that his hair was growing out, and the Padawan braid he had worn was gone. "And they promoted you, too, I see. Congrats to both of you."

Obi-Wan smiled warmly, then moved in and gave Buffy a hug of his own. "It's good to see you, Buffy." As her arms tightened around him, he felt the calming feeling of relief; they had been uncertain as how quickly they would find her.

"You too, Ben," she replied sincerely, using a nickname she had adopted for him years ago.

"Not to sound rude, but who is this 'Jacen' person?" Anakin asked. Buffy looked at the two Jedi, her friends, and sighed.

"Jacen is one of the leaders of the resistance movement here on Corellia." She paused, and then rushed forward, "and he's also my fiancé."

Anakin gasped, and Obi-Wan's jaw dropped. "Your fiancé? Are you mad? You'll be expelled-"

"I sent in my resignation, Ben. I quit the Council."

By this time, Anakin had regained some of his wits. "You _what_?"

"I fell in love, Ani," she replied simply. "It didn't happen overnight. After it did happen, I thought long and hard about it before I made my decision." Buffy handed over a small coms device to Obi-Wan. "This contains a complete record of all of my reports, including my resignation letter. I had hoped it had made it through. I guess it didn't."

"But Buffy…"

"But nothing, Ani," she interrupted. "I fell in love. I got engaged. I had a beautiful baby girl - I can't wait to show her to you. You're an Uncle now, Ani. I made my decision, and I stick by it." She kept her eyes trained on her brother; she couldn't take the look of shock and disappointment on Obi-Wan's face, not when her own mind was so resolute.

"But I thought you were happy with the Jedi…" Anakin tried, but Buffy shook her head.

"I was happy with the Order, yes. I joined so I could stay with you, and learn about these powers I suddenly had. I've had the great privilege of watching you grow to become one hell of a Jedi, Ani, and that made me the happiest of all. But now it's time for me to move on, to do something I never thought I'd be able to do - start a family. Please, don't take that away from me."

In a way, it freed her to say these words. Knowing her communiqués had not gotten off of this planet, this was the second best option.

Anakin sighed in defeat, and Obi-Wan spoke. "Well, we had come here to rescue you and to gather intel for the coming invasion. But seeing as you don't need rescuing-"

"I'll get you all the intel you want," Buffy supplied. "And I'll be able to introduce you to my family. Come on."

* * *

They walked in silence back towards Camp 13. Anakin was trying to sort through his tumultuous emotions - he couldn't believe that Buffy would ever quit the Order, but at the same time, he couldn't fault her for wanting to start a family. Deep inside, though he felt shameful that Buffy did what he couldn't do - made the decision to resign and get married, rather than getting married in secret like he had. 

Obi-Wan was similarly conflicted. Buffy had been one of the most gifted and promising Jedi he had ever worked with. He knew that she took her commitment to the Order seriously and wouldn't throw it away on a lark. And he couldn't help but feel a little sad at seeing her go; he had missed her for the past two years… Clearing his mind from those thoughts, he took in the look of deep pride on her face and attempted to make light of the situation. As she had always been there for matters of importance for him, so he would be for her.

Buffy mind was a jumble of emotions. Happiness at seeing her brother, trepidation over introducing them to Jacen, Han, and Joyce; fear over how they were taking her decision…

And alarm at seeing smoke rising in the distance.

"Wuh de ma," she breathed as she took off at a run towards the smoke. Anakin and Obi-Wan, sensing her alarm, ran after her. The three Jedi crested the hill, and stopped dead at what they saw.

Internment Camp 13 was burning.

"Oh, no," she muttered, her eyes widening.

Smoke and fire belched out of gapping holes in the sides of the high rise apartment complexes as droid fighters buzzed overhead, shooting everything that moved on the ground below - including the women and children that were frantically running for cover. Buffy frantically searched the skyline for her apartment building-

And saw all that was left was a pile of burning rubble.

Without thinking, Buffy raced down to the camp, bobbing and weaving between laser blasts and ignoring the cries from her friends behind her. Obi-Wan and Anakin exchanged a concerned glance before running off after her. Activating their lightsabers, they deflected their enemy's blasts, trying to ensure that Buffy could get to her destination safely.

Time seemed to slow as she made her way up the ruined path that had led to the entrance to her home. She had almost made it to the door when she spotted the prone figure lying broken and bloodied on the ground. She felt her body freeze and then everything seemed to stop. Time seemed to stand still as she put a horrified hand over her mouth. Buffy collapsed next to the corpse of her fiancé and let out an anguished scream. Gathering what remained of him in her arms, her screams filled the blast-filled air, wracked with hopelessness, anger and, dare she think it, defeat.

Anakin watched his sister collapse, and his heart broke at the unfairness of it all. The man on the ground must have been Jacen, her fiancé; that meant her children must have been inside the building when it was destroyed. He moved immediately to his sister's side, his gloved hand landing on her shoulder and squeezing it with what he hoped was a comforting gesture. Obi-Wan's face carried the weight of his compassion and his eyes grew troubled as Buffy's screams dissolved into sobs.

Anakin was about to check the man when he suddenly heard voices speaking from down the street. Making a decision, he did his best to stealthily move down the street, hiding behind the rubble and trying to discern what was being said. As he made his way farther down, he was shocked by what he saw.

Jango Fett.

_But it couldn't be, _he reasoned. _Jango Fett is dead. _ Anakin looked over the armored figure more closely, and noticed several differences. The armor was green and silver, instead of the blue and silver worn by Jango. The jet pack looked to be a newer model of sturdier design. And though he couldn't see his face, the voice sounded much younger than the gruff voice that Jango and the Clone Troopers shared.

_It must be Jango's clone son, Boba._ He reasoned. Knowing how good Jango had been and how good Boba must be, Anakin pushed himself deeper into the shadows and listened as Boba conferred with the droid commander.

"Commander, have you wiped out the resistance leadership?"

"Yes, sir," the droid replied. "We believe there are additional cells operating in the area. We are cleansing the camp as we speak."

Anakin felt his stomach turn over… cleaning out the camp must mean desecrating everything that had once been innocent… the women and children had not led a resistance, they had not taken up arms…

"Change of plan, Commander. You are to initiate the scorched planet procedure. The order comes directly from Darth Traya. Leave none alive. And commander," he paused, and Anakin could picture the malevolent grin on the bounty hunter's face, "if you come across the Skywalker girl, try to capture her alive. I have special plans for her."

Anakin quickly made his way back up to where Obi-Wan was trying desperately to console Buffy, who was being completely unresponsive. Her eyes stared hopelessly at the corpse in her arms and her body had stiffened. Anakin knew her well enough to know that if he didn't intervene now, she would soon go into shock and would likely stand as the target the stupid Bounty Hunter wanted so much alive. She would be easily captured unless he moved her now. He kneeled down next to them.

"Master, Buffy, we have to leave now."

"I won't leave him," Buffy sobbed, and Anakin gently grasped her chin in his gloved hand and brought her eyes up to meet his.

"Buffy, he's gone," he replied softly. "I'm sorry, but he's gone. Jango Fett's son is here, and he's looking for revenge. And the droids have been ordered to initiate a scorched planet operation." He paused to let this sink in to his sister's grief-stricken mind. "Buffy, we need to get a message to our fleet and order them to begin landing at once. Is there any way to send a communiqué?"

Buffy looked down at Jacen's face and then into the ruins of their apartment. The children had probably been crushed when the building collapsed. Jacen had made it outside to take the brunt of a laser bolt from a Vulture droid. Gently, she passed her hand over her fiancé's face, closing his eyelids. When she looked up again, her eyes were hard and cold.

"All communications were jammed early on in the invasion," she stated in a voice devoid of emotion. "The only way to contact your fleet is to get to it ourselves on a ship. And lucky for you, we--" – there was a break in her voice - "_I _have just the ship."

* * *

The three Jedi made their way silently to the edge of the compound where the main hanger was located. Once part of a bustling space port, it had been shut down since the occupation. The ships within had remained idle, though cared for by their owners. Jacen had bought their ship directly from the manufacturer, who had been storing several of their prototype ships in the hanger for an air show before the occupation had shut it down. When he hadn't been busy leading the rebellion or spending time with Buffy, he had been in the hanger, tirelessly working on making the ship the fastest ship in the quadrant. 

Buffy was sure he had succeeded. At least, that was what she was counting on.

There were two heavy battle droids guarding the door to the hanger. Obi-Wan saw this, and turned to the Skywalkers.

"Looks like only two of them. Okay, here is what we'll do-"

Before he could even finish, Buffy stood up and walked quickly out into the open, directly towards the droids. The two machines noticed and immediately raised their arms to activate their blasters. Before they could even get halfway up, Buffy had drawn her trusty sidearm and shot both droids in quick succession, followed by two more shots into the door, blowing it open. The tow remaining Jedi shot each other a worried look, then rose and hurried after the girl.

They found her just inside, looking up at the gleaming white hull of the ship in front of them. It was saucer shaped, with twin mandibles emerging from the front that housed the forward search lights and had an observation window nestled between them. A large deflector dish sat on top on the right side of the ship, and shooting off of the left side of the ship. Just forward of the port entrance ramp, was the cockpit, its circular window showing the dark interior that housed the flight controls and four chairs. The rear of the ship was all engines, specially modified by Jacen to draw ever erg of energy for maximum thrust. Anakin noticed that it was armed as well with a pair of quad cannons; one on top and one on the bottom.

"Here it is," Buffy said, a hint of pride seeping into her voice, "the Millennium Falcon."

"Nice design," Anakin murmured, giving it a visual once-over.

"Is it a fast ship?" Obi-Wan asked, aware that this ship would have to outrun some of the fastest Separatist ships there were. Buffy just looked over at the Jedi Master.

"A fast ship? Your ARC fighter won't outrun the Separatist fleet, that's for sure. And this baby could fly circles around the old Jedi Starfighters," Buffy sighed and motioned towards the port entrance ramp, which opened obediently in response. "She's fast enough for you, old man."

Without further ado, she made her way onto the ship, followed closely by Obi-Wan and Anakin. The three made their way into the cockpit. Buffy quickly settled into the pilot's chair and started powering up the ship. Anakin paused by the co-pilots chair.

"Uh, Buffy…" The Slayer looked up at her brother, and a grim smile flitted across her face.

"Jacen taught me a thing or two about flying," she snapped in the same voice so devoid of anything warm. "Just sit down and strap in. Prepare to angle the deflector dish. Obi-Wan, set the hyperdrive coordinates in the computer. I'm taking us out."

Everything felt so automatic now, as though her processing unit had decided to malfunction. Experienced fingers flew over the controls as she pressed a button and the roof of the hanger began to retract. She powered up the engines and heard a deep-set rumble of the ship rumbling to life. Pausing, she glanced up before whispering, "Good girl. Just like your Daddy." Turning, she focused on the matter at hand and engaged the thrusters, Anakin's wary eyes following her every move.

The Falcon gracefully lifted off and soared through the retracted roof. The remaining droids on the ground were taken completely by surprise as the freighter lifted out of the hanger, and suddenly shot up and away.

Buffy expertly weaved the Falcon in and around the Vulture droids that broke off of their attacks on the camps to attack the fleeing ship. Soon she had broken free of the atmosphere, and pointed the ship directly at the droid command ship that was orbiting the planet. As they drew nearer, Anakin began to worry.

"Uh, Buffy?" he said nervously.

"Yeah?" There was that voice again… so cold, so emotionless.

"You do see the big ship right in front of us?"

"Yeah."

"Oh. Good."

They drew closer and closer to the control ship, and Anakin's panic built, as did Obi-Wan's.

"Buffy, what are you doing?" Obi-Wan yelled, leaning over to examine her hands strangely slack on the steering controls. "You're going to get us all killed!"

Anakin looked closely at his sister's face, and saw the blank look in her eyes. Instantly he realized that everything that had happened today had finally hit her. She was obviously in shock, if not worse. As soon as he how completed unresponsive she was, he reached over and pulled back the hyperdrive activator, sending the ship into hyperspace as explosions went off all around them…

And explosions seemed to go off right outside Buffy's window…

* * *

She opened her eyes, taking in the darkened room that had served as her quarters since her return to the temple. She drew in a shuddering breath, and then released it, pushing the memory back down into the recesses of her mind and trying in vain to calm her emotions. Another explosion sounded, and Buffy got up. Though her entire being was numb and cold, her mind also knew that the explosions she was hearing didn't belong there… 

_What in the world…_she wondered as she moved to her door to see what was going on outside. Before she could reach the door control, the door slid open to reveal the panting form of Zett Jukassa.

"Ma-master Skywalker!" he panted, leaning on the doorframe to catch his breath. Buffy swiftly walked over to him and placed a calming hand on the Padawan's shoulder.

"Zett, I'm not a Master. Hell, technically, I'm not even a Jedi anymore. So calm down and tell me what in the hell is going on?" she demanded. The Padawan looked up into her face, panic in his eyes. Even as he spoke his next words, she felt an overwhelming force somewhere nearby, something that was drawing her attention outwards… something deadly…

"We're under attack!" he exclaimed…

* * *

To be started...

And so, it all begins...AGAIN.

Next Chapter: Buffy/Traya II, Halcyon looses his temper, and the Jedi Council decides wether or not to allow Buffy to rejoin the Order again...


	2. Chapter 1: Attack on the Archives

A story by The Nature Boy Andrew Niehaus

A Long Time Ago in a Galaxy Far, Far Away…..

**Star Wars**

**Episode III**

**Revenge of the Witch**

_After years of civil war, the Separatists have battered the already faltering Republic nearly to the point of collapse. On Coruscant, the Senate watches anxiously as Supreme Chancellor Palpatine aggressively strips away more and more constitutional liberties in the name of safeguarding the Republic. Yoda, Mace Windu, and their fellow Masters grapple with the Chancellor's disturbing move to assume control of the Jedi Council_

_Anakin Skywalker, the prophesied 'Chosen One' destined to bring balance to the Force, is increasingly consumed by his fear that his secret love and wife, Senator Padmé Amidala, will die._

_And Buffy Summers-Skywalker, who had left the order early in the war when she fell in love on assignment to Corellia, awaits the decision on her whether or not she will be reinstated to the Jedi Order after her new family was wiped out by her former friend, and now Sith Lord, Darth Traya; even as another Jedi, Nejaa Halcyon, must confront his fears on the possible loss of his own secret family._

_As the situation worsened General Grievous, under the command of the Dark Lord Count Dooku, attacked the Republic capital world of Coruscant and abducted Chancellor Palpatine. As Obi-Wan and Anakin race to free the captive Chancellor, Buffy must once again face her demons when Darth Traya invades the Jedi Archives…

* * *

_

**Disclaimer: Star Wars and its characters are owned by George Lucas and Lucas Films. Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its characters are owned by Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. I own neither. **

**While most of this story will focus on Buffy, there will be portions that will focus on scenes that happened in the movie. For those scenes, I will be using the novelization Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith by Mathew Stover.

* * *

**

**Dramatis Personae**

**Buffy Summers-Skywalker; Jedi Knight, Slayer (female human)**

**Darth Traya (Willow Rosenberg-Naberrie); Dark Lady of the Sith (female human)**

**Anakin Skywalker; Jedi Knight (human male)**

**Obi-Wan Kenobi; Jedi Master (human male)**

**Mace Windu; Jedi Master (male human**

**Yoda; Jedi Master (male your guess is as good as mine)**

**Zett Jukassa; Jedi Padawan (human male)**

**Aayla Secura; Jedi Master (female Twi'lek) **

**Serra Keto, Jedi Knight (human female)**

**Nejaa Halcyon, Jedi Master (human male)**

**Palpatine/Darth Sidious; Dark Lord of the Sith, Supreme Chancellor of the Republic (male human)**

**Nute Gunray; Viceroy of the Trade Federation (male Neimoidian)**

**General Grievous; Commander of the Separatists (Alien/Droid Hybrid)

* * *

**

_Previously on Revenge of the Witch:_

_And explosions seemed to go off right outside Buffy's window, and she opened her eyes, taking in the darkened room that had served as her quarters since her return to the temple. She drew in a shuddering breath, and then released it, pushing the memory back down into the recesses of her mind and trying in vain to calm her emotions. Another explosion sounded, and Buffy got up._

_What in the worlds…" she wondered as she moved to her door to see what was going on outside. Before she could reach the door control, the door slid open to reveal the panting form of Zett Jukassa._

_"Ma-master Skywalker!" he panted, leaning on the doorframe to catch his breath. Buffy swiftly walked over to him and placed a calming hand on the Padawan's shoulder._

_"Zett, what in the blue hell is going on?" she demanded. The Padawan looked up into her face, panic in his eyes._

_"We're under attack!" he exclaimed…

* * *

_

Buffy looked out the windows in the hall and saw dozens of ships high overhead engaged in a fierce battle. She saw the rather unfamiliar Clone ships firing to the all-too familiar Droid ships. As pieces of the ships were blown away, the sky was filled with color and metal. Explosions rattled the windows from time to time highlighting exactly how close the battle was. Buffy looked to Zett in exasperation.

"Why the hell didn't anybody come and get me before?" she demanded. The young Padawan just shrugged his shoulders.

"They told us not to disturb you unless there was a dire emergency," he replied. Another explosion, louder and closer than the previous ones, caused Buffy to look out of the windows as one of the Republic's Venator-class star destroyers plummeted from orbit and impacted into a cluster of high-rise residential towers. A large plume of flame and smoke rose immediately from impact. Sucking in her breath, Buffy turned her attention back to the Padawan.

"I'd say the situation is dire," Buffy deadpanned. "What's the sitch?"

"The Supreme Chancellor has been kidnapped by General Grievous-"

"Is he dead?" Buffy interrupted. When Zett shook his head in a negative, Buffy scowled. "Damn."

"Right…um, anyway, Master's Kenobi and Skywalker were dispatched to retrieve him-"

"Double damn."

Zett looked at the smaller girl in sympathy. "I'm sure they'll be okay," he said slowly, knowing that both men were important to her. Buffy just rolled her eyes and snorted.

"Of course they'll be okay. And they'll manage to pull it off. That's what I'm upset about. So, why'd you come and get me?"

Zett took a deep breath and then continued. "Because there is a Sith in the Temple Archives. Master Halcyon is trying to subdue her, but he was having little success. There are also a number of younglings in there…"

"Who?" Buffy demanded, her eyes hard. Zett was silent for a moment, and then spoke.

"Darth Traya."

Buffy exhaled the breath she hadn't even realized she was holding. Darth Traya was here, in the Archives, fighting her friend. The woman responsible for the death of her family…

In an instant, she had made her decision. She would not succumb to the need for revenge. Besides, the best revenge, the best justice, would be for her to capture Traya and purge her from the good person that Willow had been. Though she was still numb from her meditations, she felt as though her body was awakening to the sudden promise of violence. She would get a chance to look Jacen's executioner in the eye. And then she would show Traya "justice". She reached out her hand and called her silver and red lightsaber to her hand and marched towards the Archives.

Zett sighed. _This won't end well,_ he thought as he rushed after the former Jedi.

* * *

Nejaa Halcyon was having a bit of a day.

As if the attack on Coruscant hadn't been enough, this bloody Sith had to infiltrate the Archives, searching for the Force knows what, attacking Younglings and Padawan's who interfered with her search.

Including him.

"You really are a rather pathetic Jedi, you know?" Traya taunted, her hands still, somehow, buried in a computer terminal, seemingly absorbing the vast amounts of knowledge in the computer. Halcyon kept trying to dislodge her, pounding away at her with his blue lightsaber. Unfortunately, the blade couldn't seem to penetrate the shield she had erected around herself. "I mean, seriously. If you wanted me out of here, all you have to do is yank me away. Oh, but that's right - you never were powerful enough to tap into the telekinetic aspects of the Force, were you?"

Halcyon growled in frustration. "I never felt the need."

Willow sneered, "No, you never had the power. Too much of a goody-goody Jedi to even think about it…of course, you're not exactly the model Jedi, are you?"

Halcyon froze. _She couldn't know…_

Willow smiled malevolently. "Yeah, I do know, Hal. Your two special people back on Corellia…lucky they managed to escape the execution squads…of course, I could always go back and finish the job…"

Halcyon felt the rage build up in him and, for once, he did nothing to suppress it. He used his rage to fuel his power, and reached out with the Force to rip Traya away from the computer - and almost succeeded. Traya grinned triumphantly.

"Now you're getting it, Hal." She withdrew one of her hands and pointed it at the Jedi, "Just not quite good enough. Now, let me show you how it's really done…" With a flick of her wrist, she sent the Jedi flying back towards the doors, where he impacted hard next to an arriving Buffy. Seeing her old friend, Traya smiled. "Buffy! What a nice surprise!"

Buffy looked around the room, and saw Jocasta Nu's body lying still on the floor. She reached out with the Force towards both her and the fallen form of Halcyon and found both of them to be unconscious, but uninjured. She then reached through the Force to the Jedi Masters, alerting them to what was going on and asking them to return at once. All the while, her eyes never left Traya's.

"Darth Traya. Always a pleasure."

"Buffy. How have you been? The husband, the kids? Oh, that's right - they're dead."

"Yes, they are. And now I'm back here." She paused. "A little flaw in your plan, I assume?"

Traya chuckled. "No matter. Just means I get to kill you personally." She withdrew her lightsaber and ignited the crimson blade.

"Don't suppose you want to talk about this?" Buffy queried, igniting her own silver blade. "Zett, get the kids out of here. I'll hold Traya off. GO!" she shouted as she blocked Traya's attacks with ease. Soon, her parries turned into thrusts and small swipes that were meant to disarm Traya. As Buffy drove the Sith back, she risked a glance and saw that Zett had gathered the Younglings and was slowly leading them around the battle towards the door. Trying to buy time, she shook her head in disappointment.

"Can't say I'm impressed, Traya. I'm not even trying here, and I'm still beating you. Willow would have probably already kicked my ass by now…"

Traya snarled. "Willow was a pathetic weakling who could barely care for herself. I have the power, now! I AM the power!"

"Blah, blah, blah. I'm hearing a lot of talk, but I'm not seeing much. Tell you what," she added, blocking another blow and turning it aside, following it up with a swipe that sliced through the top layer of Traya's robes, "Let's say you stop all of this foolishness and turn yourself in?" A hard blow from Buffy set Traya reeling back. Sensing this was a battle she wasn't going to win, Traya opted to use the Sith's greatest weapon - treachery.

Traya reached her arm towards the balcony, letting loose a blast of Force lightening. The energy impacted on one of the support columns, fracturing it and bringing the balcony down on top of the Younglings that were currently scampering underneath to escape the Archives and, with a flick of her wrist, brought it down. Without a moment's hesitation, Buffy dropped her lightsaber and reached towards the collapsing balcony, grasping it with the Force and holding it up so the Younglings could make their escape.

Willow cackled with glee. "Well Buffy, it's been fun, but it's time I departed. But if you ever want to finish this, all you got to do is go back to the beginning!" A flurry of wind and lightning enveloped the Sith, and in a flash, she was gone. Buffy scowled, and then turned her attention back onto the balcony, which she raised back into place with little effort. Simultaneously, she used the force to re-form the pillar, and then sent her own blast of Force lightening at the stone to fuse it together.

Zett poked his head back into the Archives. "Did you get her?"

Buffy sighed in disappointment. "No, I most certainly did not."

* * *

Mace Windu stood on the Senate landing platform, patiently waiting for Obi-Wan and Anakin to deliver the Chancellor. Around him were a variety of Senators and security guards, anxiously awaiting their return as well.

Mace was unusually anxious. The attack on Coruscant had been too close to home. Even thought the main attack force had been driven off, Yoda and the rest of the Jedi were still mopping up the remaining droids. Shaak Ti was dead - he felt her death through the Force. Add to that Buffy's tumultuous return to the Temple, and Mace had a whole list of things that were just setting him ill at ease. It was like there was something on the edge of the Force, just waiting for him to see, to understand, but it was just beyond his reach.

Mace pushed his musings to the back of his mind as the shuttle carrying the Chancellor and his two Jedi touched down, and sighed with relief as Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi followed the Chancellor out.

"Chancellor," Mace said as he walked up to the elderly statesman, carefully hiding his distrust of Palpatine deep down. "Are you well? Do you need medical attention?" he gestured to a field surgery unit waiting in a gunship a few feet away.

"No, no, no need," Palpatine responded faintly. "Thank you, Master Windu. But I am well, thanks to your two Jedi knights."

Mace nodded, and then turned to the two Jedi. "Master Kenobi? Anakin?"

"Never better," Anakin replied with a slight grin. Obi-Wan shrugged his shoulders, and then winced as he reached up to tough the scalp wound he had received.

"Only a bump on the head. Surely that field surgery unit is needed elsewhere."

"It is," Mace said in agreement. "We don't have even a preliminary estimate of the civilian casualties." He waved off the gunship, and it took off, hurtling towards the fires that were smoldering in the distance.

"The Senate is prepared to receive you, Chancellor," Mace said, turning back to the matter at hand. "The HoloNet has already been notified that you will want t make a statement.."

"I will. I will indeed," Palpatine said, then placed a fatherly hand on Mace's arm. "You have always been of great value to me, Master Windu. Thank you."

"The Jedi are honored to serve the Senate, sir," Mace replied, perhaps emphasizing the word _Senate_. He subtly moved his arm away from Palpatine's hand and turned back to the two Jedi. "Is there anything else to report, Master Kenobi? What of General Grievous?"

"Grievous escaped," Obi-Wan replied. "Count Dooku, however, is dead."

"Dead?" Mace said in shock. "You mean to say you killed Count Dooku?"

"Ah, no," Obi-Wan admitted, somewhat embarrassed. "Actually, Anakin killed Count Dooku." He reached up to touch his wound again. "I was taking a bit of a nap at that time."

"Yes, it was most extraordinary," Palpatine agreed. "I know little to nothing of sword play, but Anakin was amazing. His speed and grace was unmatched - it almost seemed as if he was more motivated." He gushed, shifting his eyes slightly towards Obi-Wan as he said the last part. Obi-Wan's face reddened slightly, even as Anakin shifted uncomfortably under Palpatine's praise and Mace's darkening scowl.

"Yes, well - the Council and I will enjoy a full report once we get things settled planet-side. In the mean-" Mace suddenly trailed off, as he suddenly heard Buffy's voice, clear as day, through the Force, alerting them to an attack on the Temple. Judging from Obi-Wan and Anakin's reaction, they heard it too. "Anakin," he said suddenly, "Stay here and guard the Chancellor. Obi-Wan and I will head back to the Temple." At the look of protest that suddenly appeared on Anakin's face, he cut him off. "Don't argue, Anakin. You're talents would best be served here." He turned to the Chancellor. "I must apologize for our sudden departure, Chancellor, but I've just been informed of a situation at the Temple that we need to tend to."

"Of course, Master Windu. I hope everything is well."

"As do I, Chancellor," Mace replied grimly. "As do I."

* * *

A few minutes later, Masters Kenobi and Windu joined Master Yoda in the main hanger and the three hurried down the hall towards the Archives. As they neared the doorway, they saw Buffy, leaning against the doorframe with a cocky smirk on her face.

"Good morning!" she greeted. "Nice of you to show up… finally."

"Buffy, what happened?" Obi-Wan asked as the three Masters stepped up to her. All three came up short at her scowl.

"What happened, besides you letting me meditate through an _invasion?_" she said sarcastically. "Oh, nothing much. Aside from Darth Traya breaking into the Archives, nearly killing Madame Pince and Master Halcyon, sucking the Archives dry, and nearly killing a bunch of Younglings. I put the balcony back up, by the way."

"And Traya?" Mace asked. Buffy shook her head.

"Got away. But I figured you'd want the Younglings alive more than you'd want Traya captured." As much as she hated that blow to her pride, she knew what had been the most important. Traya would, after all, be dealt with later.

"The right decision you made," Yoda said quietly, bringing a gnarled hand to his scalp. Even from where he was standing he could see the relieved faces of the Younglings as they hovered in the corridors, waiting to see what would happen to the one that had rescued them.

"Glad you think so," Buffy replied dryly.

"We'll take care of things here, Buffy," Mace said. "You should go back to your meditation." Obi-Wan suddenly glanced over at him, but held his tongue. He knew from the expression on her face that she was going to disagree anyway.

"Nah. I need to do some work on the Falcon. At least that way, I'll be ready for any more invasions today." She bowed in turn to each of them. "Master Benny, Master Kermit, Master Clean." With that, she walked past the three Masters and headed down to the hanger. Mace looked after his former Padawan and sighed.

"She's not making this easy for herself," he remarked.

"On the contrary, very easy she makes this decision," Yoda responded. Obi-Wan nodded in agreement.

"Calling us through the Force, attempting to capture Traya instead of blindly going for revenge, putting the lives of the Younglings first, reassembling the balcony - all of this shows a mastery of the Force that hasn't been seen in a long time."

"Better than me, she has gotten," Yoda remarked. "Her mastery of the Force, comes naturally to her, it does."

"Then it is decided?" Mace stated, already knowing the answer. Yoda nodded.

"Tend to the Younglings and Master's Halcyon and Nu now, we will. After, we will tend to Buffy."

* * *

Halcyon walked into the hanger and instantly saw Buffy, hard at work under the YT-1300 freighter, pulling out the port thruster. It had only been a few hours since the attack, but already her clothes where rumpled and dirty, and her face and hair were spotted with engine grease. She didn't seem to notice, though, as her attention was fully fixed on the last 'member' of her family. Halcyon stood back for a few moments and watched her work, admiring the calmness that seemed to wrap around her like a protective cloak. He tried to figure out how she did it. Here she was, a woman ripped away from one family, had watched her second family be destroyed, and had seen her friend descend into darkness. And yet, she had a calm serenity around her now, she seemed more attuned with the Force…

He didn't know how she did it, and he wished he did.

"You gonna stand there enjoying the view all day, Hal? Or are you going to help me pull this gorram thing out?"

Halcyon smiled. "How long have you known I was here?" he asked as he came beside the Slayer and helped her maneuver the thruster out of its housing and onto the floor.

Buffy shrugged. "Since you walked through the door," she replied casually. Halcyon chuckled.

"You really have gotten powerful with the Force, you know?"

Buffy nodded. "Yeah, that's what they tell me. Grief's a good motivator, it seems."

"I don't know how you do it, Elizabeth. I don't think I could."

Buffy looked up at Halcyon shrewdly, her arms still dangling above her head "You had a bit of an accident with Traya, didn't you?"

Halcyon lowered his eyes in shame. "The Council already dressed me down today, Buffy. I'd appreciate it if you didn't as well."

Buffy just shrugged. "I wasn't going to. If I did, I'd be a hypocrite. I'll just say that I've lost family, Hal. If you let it hang over you, it will destroy you. And that's the road to the Dark Side." She paused as she considered her next words.

Halcyon looked around, then leaned in and whispered, "I love my family, Elizabeth. I couldn't bear it if they were killed because of what I am."

"And I hope you never have to, Hal," Buffy said sincerely, a bit of sadness creeping into her voice. "But someday, you may have to. You just have to be sure you don't lose yourself in the grief and anger you'll feel. Whatever Traya said, whatever she threatened… don't think about it. If you do, then they will suffer. Just put it out of your mind. It's what I have to do." She turned her attention back to her ship.

Halcyon nodded. "I'll try. Hopefully, I won't have to worry about it," the Jedi sighed. "But that's not what I'm here to talk to you about. Go get cleaned up; the Council has reached a decision."

Buffy smiled wryly. "Should I finish up the Falcon first so I'm ready to leave when they kick me out?" she asked half-jokingly.

Halcyon chuckled. "I really don't think you have to worry about that," he replied, casting an appreciative glance at the stunning ship. "Tell you what - I'll finish this, you go get cleaned up. It wouldn't do to keep the Council waiting."

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Buffy strode into the Council chamber, fresh from the shower and wearing clean clothes. She moved to the center of the room and stood at ease with her arms behind her back. All around her the Council members sat; some were real, some were holograms sent from where they were stationed around the galaxy. She noticed two empty chairs and briefly felt a pang of grief at the loss of yet more people she had known, but quickly let it go - it wouldn't do to dwell on the loss of more friends.

She had lost more than enough as it was.

"You rang?" Buffy said, a small smile on her face. She knew she was getting the boot; she might as well have some fun before she left…

"Yes, and we did it twenty minutes ago," Obi-Wan replied, amusement clear in his voice. She turned to blink at him, her lips curving.

"What can I say? I wanted to look pretty for you," she replied cheekily.

"We've reached a decision on your request to be re-instated to the Jedi Order, Buffy," Mace said, interrupting their banter. She turned her head back to the Jedi Master and lowered her arms, standing at ease, though she felt anything but.

"The decision was most difficult, considering the circumstances of your leaving," the hologram of Ki-Adi-Mundi toned. "Not only did you abandon the Order while on a mission for the Republic, but you also allowed your personal feelings to cloud your judgment."

"How do you figure that?" Buffy demanded, her voice suddenly hard.

"You were to be married, Buffy," Master Aayla Secura interjected, not unsympathetically. "You had a child. These things are against the code."

"I wasn't a member of the Order when I did these things," Buffy replied, coolly yet calmly. "I considered all of this before I made my decision. And when I decided that I wanted to spend my life with Jacen, I tendered my resignation. And no," she said, cutting off Mace before he could speak, "this isn't something that I plan to do often. What I had with Jacen…it was special. And I thought long and hard about my decision. And," she added, her tone icy as she stared hard at the hologram of Ki-Adi-Mundi, "there was no judgment clouded. If I had abandoned the Order, I wouldn't have been here to stop Traya from killing all of the Younglings and likely the rest of _you._" She hated sounding so crass, but this had been her call. Had she not intervened, many Jedi could have been killed.

"Do you think you would make the same decision again?" Obi-Wan asked softly. Buffy met his gaze and slowly shook her head.

"No." she said definitively. "There was only one Jacen. Nobody could replace him." As she said this, she felt as though this was the best closure she could find. No one could take what she felt for him away… not even the Jedi surrounding her. Though they blinked and scowled at her, passing judgment for her rather inane (to them, at least) decision, she knew in her heart that it was the best thing she had done. "I… I couldn't put myself through that again," she appended. She kept her gaze to Obi-Wan's. She wanted to say that she had learned her lesson, but she thought the only way that would happen would be if Traya was in her grasp.

There was a pause as all of the Masters looked to one another. Buffy carefully kept her gaze averted. Finally, Mace spoke.

"We've all thought long and hard about this, Buffy. And while some of us were disappointed that you decided to leave the Order in the first place, we could all agree that you respected the Order enough to resign and, by proxy, respect the code. That, coupled with what happened today - we saw holo-recordings of what happened in the archives, and witnessed both your restraint in dealing with Darth Traya, as well as your apparent mastery of the Force - we have agreed to welcome you back to the Jedi Order."

Buffy blinked in surprise as his words slowly sunk into her brain which had been chanting the words she thought she'd hear – "get out, go away, you're through, we don't need you, you did the wrong thing"… but her mind froze with the "welcome you back" part. Buffy sighed in relief. _Guess I won't be bunking with Padmé, _she thought wryly. But before she could thank her former Master, his next words brought her attention back to the present with a rather pleasant lurch.

Mace gestured to the empty chair next to Obi-Wan. "Take your seat, Master Skywalker."

TBC...

* * *

A/N

I was going to continue this through her reaction, but this was such a good place to leave off. Don't you think?

Yes, i know I cut out the rescue. But I wanted to concentrate on Buffy, and I didn't feel like cutting and pasting fromt he book.

Next Chapter: Buffy has her WTF moment, Anakin has a dream, Buffy, Mace, Yoda and Obi-Wan talk about their suspicions, and I reply to Wise.Let the fireworks begin!


	3. Chapter 2: What Dreams May Come

**Episode 3 Chapter 2**

**What Dreams May Come

* * *

**

**Disclaimer: The characters belong to Joss Wheedon and George Lucas. The overall story belongs to Lucas and Lucas Arts. Certain scenes were pulled from the novelization by Mathew Stover and modified for the purpose of this story.**

**As always, a great big thank you goes out to my three betas- Fallenstar2, ShadowMaster, and Winterd.

* * *

**

_Previously On Revenge of the Witch_

"_We've reached a decision on your request to be reinstated to the Jedi Order, Buffy," Mace said, interrupting their banter. _

"_The decision was most difficult, considering the circumstances of your leaving," the hologram of Ki-Adi-Mundi continued. "Not only did you abandon the Order while on a mission for the Republic, but you also allowed your personal feelings to cloud your judgment._

"_How do you figure that?" Buffy demanded, her voice suddenly hard._

"_You were to be married, Buffy," Master Aayla Secura interjected, not unsympathetically. "You had a child. These things are against the code."_

"_I wasn't a member of the Order when I did these things," Buffy replied, coolly yet calmly. "I considered all of this before I made my decision. And when I decided that I wanted to spend my life with Jacen, I tendered my resignation. And no," she said, cutting off Mace before he could speak, "this isn't something that I plan to do often. What I had with Jacenit was special. And I thought long and hard about my decision."_

"_Do you think you would make the same decision again?" Obi-Wan asked. Buffy shook her head._

"_No," she said definitively. "There was only one Jacen. Nobody could replace him."_

_There was a pause as all of the Masters looked to one another. Finally, Mace spoke._

"_We've all thought long and hard about this, Buffy. And while some of us were disappointed that you decided to leave the Order in the first place, we could all agree that you respected the Order enough to resign and, by proxy, respect the code. That, coupled with what happened today- we saw holorecordings of what happened in the archives, and witnessed both your restraint in dealing with Darth Traya, as well as your apparent mastery of the Force- we have agreed to welcome you back to the Jedi Order."_

_Buffy sighed in relief. Guess I won't be bunking with Padmé. She thought wryly. But before she could thank her former Master, his next words brought her up sort._

_Mace gestured to the empty chair next to Obi-Wan. "Take your seat, Master Skywalker."

* * *

_

Buffy blinked. Then what her former Master said sunk in, and she began to shake her head in denial.

"Whoa - wait, what? Are you guys nuts? Taking me back is one thing - promoting me is another."

"We are at war, Buffy," Mace said simply. "You have fought wars in the past, against foes as dark as this mysterious Dark Lord of the Sith. Your mastery over the Force has grown strong. We need your experience on this Council."

"I'm not Council material!" Buffy retorted. "Hell, the last Council I worked for fired me!" Well, this was sort of half-true…

"I thought you quit?" Obi-Wan retorted, amusedly. His slight smirk disappeared as she turned her wrath upon him.

"That's not the point! I'm not management material!"

"Another reason, there is," Yoda interrupted, looking at the Slayer. "Your brother."

"Anakin?"

"Dark and troubled, his thoughts have been of late. And keen has been Chancellor Palpatine's interest in him."

Buffy's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"The Chancellor has always had an interest in Anakin's development, Buffy. You know that," Mace replied. "But as of late, he has increasingly pushed for Anakin to be given more responsibilities, even be put in total command of his own legion. That, coupled with his increasing push to gain total control over the government - there are rumors now that he's looking to pass another amendment to give him or a representative of him a seat on this Council."

"Why we need you on this Council, that is," Yoda concluded. "To watch over your brother and to keep in check the Chancellor."

Buffy looked around helplessly at the other Masters, looking for a way out. Seeing nothing but bemusement at her slightly panicked expression, she sighed in defeat and took the proffered seat next to Obi-Wan.

* * *

Anakin lurched upright in bed, gasping, staring blindly into alien darkness. 

How she had _screamed _for him—how she had begged for him, how her strength had failed on that alien table… How at the last she could only whimper, _Anakin, I'm sorry. I love you. I love you_—thundered inside his head, the only sounds he heard was the jackhammer-like pounding of his heart.

Only a few hours ago, Padmé had made him the happiest man in the galaxy when she told him in the shadows of the Senate that she was pregnant. He was going to be a father. He, who had never known his own father, would soon be helping his wife raise their first child.

How quickly those happy feelings could turn to terror.

His human hand grasped the silken sheets gathered round his waist. After a few moments, he finally he remembered where he was.

He half-turned and glanced at the spot on the bed next to him, feeling the body next to him. With the slow rise and fall of her chest, she was fast asleep. He reached out with his hand, hovering over her eyes with their half-moon lashes framing those delicate orbs. She was smiling slightly, with that glorious hair fanning across the pillows. He felt his own lips twist into a bittersweet smile and felt his stomach soar for a moment before the grief of what he had just seen returned to him. He turned away from her, buried his face in his hands and sobbed.

The tears that ran between his fingers then were tears of gratitude.

She was alive and she was with him.

In silence so deep he could hear the whirring of the electro-drivers in his mechanical hand, he disentangled himself from the sheets and got up.

Through the closet, a long curving sweep of stairs led to the veranda that overlooked Padmé's private landing deck. Leaning on the night-chilled rail, Anakin stared out upon the endless nightscape of Coruscant. Hours after the battle had ended parts of the city were still burning.

Coruscant at night had always been an endless galaxy of light, shining from trillions of windows in billions of buildings that reached kilometers into the sky, with navigation lights and advertising and the infinite streams of speeders' running lights coursing the rivers of traffic lanes overhead. But tonight, local power outages had swallowed ragged swaths of the city into vast nebulae of darkness, broken only by the malignant red-dwarf glares of innumerable fires.

Anakin didn't know how long he stood there, staring. The city looked like he felt. Damaged. Broken in battle.

Stained with darkness.

Even as part of his mind dwelled on his dream, another part thought of what he had done that day. He had defeated Count Dooku, true. But in doing so, he had found himself giving in to the dark urges once again. It was something he had found easier to do over the past few years, especially when he had thought Buffy to be dead. It was a rush, the power he felt. But afterwards, all he could feel was the shame of his weakness.

And then Buffy came back. And he found a whole new reason to feel shame.

* * *

She moved more quietly than the smoky breeze, but he felt her approach. 

She took a place beside him at the railing and laid her soft human hand along the back of his hard mechanical one. And she simply stood with him, staring silently out across the city that had become her second home. Waiting patiently for him to tell her what was wrong and trusting that he would.

He could feel her patience and her trust. He was so grateful for both that tears welled once more. He had to blink out at the burning night and blink again to keep those fresh tears from spilling over onto his cheeks. He put his flesh hand on top of hers and held it gently until he could let himself speak. "It was a dream," he said finally.

"Bad?" she asked. Anakin nodded.

"It was—like the ones I used to have." He couldn't look at her. "About my mother."

Padmè nodded slowly, accepting his explanation. "And?"

"And—" He looked down at her small, slim fingers, and he slipped his between them, clasping their two hands into a knot of prayer. "It was about you."

Now she turned aside, leaning once more upon the rail and star­ing out into the night. In the slowly pulsing rose-glow of the distant fires she was more beautiful than he had ever seen her. "All right," she said softly. "It was about me."

When Anakin could finally make himself tell her, his voice was raw and hoarse as though he'd been shouting all day. "It was... about you _dying," _he said. "I couldn't stand it. I can't stand it." He couldn't look at her. He looked at the city, at the deck, at the stars and he found no place he could bear to see. All he could do was close his eyes. "You're going to die in childbirth."

Padmè blinked. "Oh," was all she said.

She had only a few months left to live. They had only a few months left to love each other. She would never see their child. After a moment, the touch of her hand to his cheek brought his eyes open again, and he found her gazing up at him calmly. "And the baby?"

He shook his head. "I don't know."

She nodded and pulled away, drifting toward one of the ve­randa chairs. She lowered herself into it and stared down at her hands, clasped together in her lap. He couldn't take it. He couldn't watch her be calm and ac­cepting about her own death. He came to her side and knelt.

"It won't happen, Padmé. I won't let it. I've done it before- I helped stop my mother from dying. I swear to you - this dream will _not_ become real."

She nodded. "I didn't think it would."

He blinked. "You didn't?"

"This is Coruscant, Ani, not Tatooine. Women don't die in childbirth on _Coruscant_—not even the people in the lower levels. And I have a top-flight medical droid, who assures me I am in perfect health. Your dream must have been... some kind of metaphor or something."

"I—my dreams are _literal, _Padmé. I wouldn't know a metaphor if it _bit _me. And I couldn't see the place you were in you might not even _be _on Coruscant..."

She looked away. "I had been thinking—about going some­where... somewhere else. Having the baby in secret to protect you. So you can stay in the Order."

"I don't _want _to stay in the Order!" He took her face between his palms so that she had to look into his eyes, so that she had to see how much he meant every word he said. "Don't pro­tect me. I don't need it. We have to start thinking, right now, about how we can protect _you. _Because all I want is for us to be together."

"And we will be," she said. "But there must be more to your dream than death in childbirth. That doesn't make any sense."

"I know. But I can't begin to guess what it might be. It's too—I can't even think about it, Padmé. I'll go crazy. What are we going to do?"

She kissed the palm of his hand of flesh. "We're going to do what you told me, when I asked you the same question this after­noon. We're going to be happy together."

"But we—we can't just... _wait. I _can't. I have to _do _some­thing."

"Of course you do." She smiled fondly. "That's who you are. That's what being a hero is. What about Obi-Wan? Or Buffy?"

He frowned. "What about them?"

"You told me once that he is as wise as Yoda and as powerful as Mace Windu. And Buffy is your sister - she would help you no matter what. Couldn't they help us?"

"No." Anakin's chest clenched like a fist squeezing his heart. "I can't—I'd have to _tell _them"

"Obi-Wan's your best friend, Ani. He must suspect already."

"It's one thing to have him suspect. It's something else to shove it in his face. He's still on the Council. He'd _have _to report me. And Buffy..." his voice trailed off for a moment, before he found the strength to carry on. "Buffy went through the same thing we are going through, with one difference - she chose to _leave_ the Order beforehand. What would she think of me, hiding in all of this secrecy? And…"

"And what? Is there something you haven't told me?"

He turned away. "I'm not sure they're on my side."

_"Your _side? Anakin, what are you saying?"

"They're on the Jedi Council, Padmé. I _know _my name has come up for Mastery—I'm more powerful than any Jedi Master alive. But someone is blocking me. Obi-Wan could tell me who, and why... but he _doesn't. _I'm not sure he even stands up for me with them. And now my sister has been appointed to the Council…"

"Jealousy doesn't become you, Anakin." Padmé reprimanded softly. "Remember- she has been a Jedi Knight longer than you. As for Obi-Wan blocking you- I just can't believe that."

"It has nothing to do with believing," he murmured, his tone soft and bitter. "It's the truth."

"There must be some _reason, _then. Anakin, Obi-Wan's your best friend, your mentor. He loves you."

"Maybe he does. But I don't think he trusts me." His eyes went as bleak as the empty night. "And I'm not sure we can trust him."

"Anakin!" She clutched at his arm. "What would make you _say_ that?"

_"None _of them trust me, Padmé. None of them. You know what I feel, when they look at me?"

"Anakin—"

He turned to her, and everything in him ached. He wanted to cry and he wanted to rage and he wanted to make his rage a weapon that would cut himself free forever. "Fear," he said. "I feel their _fear. _And for _nothing?"_

He could show them something, though. He could show them a _reason _for their fear. He could show them what he'd discovered within himself in the General's Quarters on _Invisible Hand. _What he had discovered in that ruined temple on Yavin IV.

Something of it must have risen on his face, because he saw a flicker of doubt shadow her eyes, just for a second, just a flash, but still it burned into him like a lightsaber and he shuddered. His shudder turned into a shiver that became shaking, and he gathered her to his chest and buried his face in her hair, and the strong sweet warmth of her cooled him. Just enough.

"Padmé," he murmured, "Oh, Padmé, I'm so sorry. Forget I said anything. None of that matters now. I'll be gone from the Order soon—because I will not let you go away to have our baby in some alien place. I will not let you face my dream alone. I _will _be there for you, Padmé. Always. No matter what."

"I know it, Ani. I know." She pulled gently away and looked up at him. Tears sparkled like red gems in the firelight. "Come upstairs, Anakin," she said. "The night's getting cold. Come up to our bed."

"All right. All right." He found that he could breathe again, and his shaking had stilled. "Just—" He put his arm around her shoulders so that he didn't have to meet her eyes. "Just don't say anything to Obi-Wan or Buffy, all right?"

Padmé sighed, then nodded. "All right. I won't say anything."

* * *

Buffy and Obi-Wan sat beside Mace Windu while they watched Yoda scan the report. Here in Yoda's simple living space within the Jedi Temple, every softly curving pod chair and knurled organi­form table hummed with gentle, comforting power: the same warm strength that Obi-Wan remembered enfolding him even as an infant. These chambers had been Yoda's home for more than eight hundred years. Everything within them echoed with the harmonic resonance of Yoda's calm wisdom, tuned through cen­turies of his touch. To sit within Yoda's chambers was to inhale serenity; to Obi-Wan, this was a great gift in these troubled times. 

But when Yoda looked at them through the translucent shimmer of the holoprojected report on the contents of the lat­est amendment to the Security Act, his eyes were anything but calm: they had gone narrow and cold, and his ears had flattened back along his skull.

"This report—from where does it come?"

"The Jedi still have friends in the Senate," Mace Windu replied in his grim monotone, "for now."

"When presented this amendment is, passed it will be?"

Mace nodded. "My source expects passage by acclamation. Overwhelming passage. Perhaps as early as this afternoon."

"The Chancellor's goal in this—unclear to me it is," Yoda said slowly. "Thoug nominally in command of the Council, the Senate may place him, the Jedi he cannot control. Moral, our au­thority has always been; much more than merely _legal. _Simply follow orders, Jedi do not!"

"I don't think he intends to control the Jedi," Mace said. "By placing the Jedi Council under the control of the Office of the Supreme Chancellor, this amendment will give him the con­stitutional authority to disband the Order itself."

"Surely you cannot believe this is his intention."

"_His _intention?" Buffy said darkly. "Maybe not. But _his _in­tentions are irrelevant; all that matters now is the intent of the Sith Lord who has the government in his grip. And the Order may be all that stands between him and galactic domina­tion. What do you _think _he will do?"

"Authority to disband the Jedi, the Senate would never grant," Yoda replied, blinking at her.

"The Senate will vote to grant exactly that. This afternoon."

"The implications of this, they must not comprehend!"

"It no longer matters what they comprehend," Mace said.

"They know where the power is," Buffy noted darkly.

"But even disbanded, even without legal authority, still Jedi we would be," Yoda said, the pride evident in his voice. "Jedi Knights served the Force long before there was a Galactic Republic, and serve it we will when this Republic is but dust."

"Yeah, and as soon as he disbands the Order, what's to stop him from declaring the Jedi to be enemies of the state?" Buffy mused. "He could order the execution of every Jedi alive and it would be within his rights."

"Master Yoda, that day may be coming sooner than any of us think. That day may be _today." _Mace shot a frustrated look at Obi-Wan, who picked up his cue smoothly.

"We don't know what the Sith Lord's plans may be," Obi-Wan said, "but we can be certain that Palpatine is not to be trusted. Not anymore. This draft resolution is not the product of some overzealous Senator. We may be sure Palpatine wrote it himself and passed it along to someone he controls—to make it-look like the Senate is once more 'forcing him to reluctantly ac­cept extra powers in the name of security.' We are afraid that they will continue to do so until one day he's 'forced to reluctantly ac­cept' dictatorship for _life!"_

"And I'm sure that's in everyone's best interest," Buffy mumbled under her breath.

"I am convinced this is the next step in a plot aimed directly at the heart of the Jedi," Mace said. "This is a move toward our de­struction. The dark side of the Force surrounds the Chancellor."

Obi-Wan added, "As it has surrounded and cloaked the Sep­aratists since even before the war began. If the Chancellor is being influenced through the dark side, this whole war may have been, from the beginning, a plot by the Sith to destroy the Jedi Order."

"Speculation!" Yoda thumped the floor with his gimer stick, making his hoverchair bob gently. "On theories such as these we cannot rely. _Proof_' we need. Proof!"

"Proof may be a luxury we cannot afford." A dangerous light had entered Mace Windu's eyes. "We must be ready to _act!"_

"Act?" Obi-Wan asked mildly.

"He cannot be allowed to move against the Order. He can­not be allowed to prolong the war needlessly. Too many Jedi have died already. He is dismantling the Republic itself! I have _seen _life outside the Republic; so have you, Obi-Wan. Slavery. Torture. Endless war." Mace's face darkened with the same distant, haunted shadow Obi-Wan had seen him wear the day before. "I have seen it in Nar Shaddaa, and I saw it on Haruun Kal. I saw what it did to Depa, and to Sora Bulq. Whatever its flaws, the Republic is our sole hope for justice and for peace. It is our only defense against the dark. Palpatine may be about to do what the Separatists can­not: bring down the Republic. If he tries, he must be removed from office."

"Removed?" Obi-Wan said. "You mean, _arrested?"_

"To hell with arrested. Let's kill the old bastard and be done with it." Buffy said, ignoring the glares the other three Masters sent her way.

Yoda shook his head. "To a dark place, this line of thought will lead us. Great care, we must take."

"The Republic _is _civilization. It's the only one we have." Mace looked deeply into Yoda's eyes and into Obi-Wan's. Obi-Wan could feel the heat in the Korun Master's gaze. "We must be prepared for radical action. It is our duty."

"But," Obi-Wan protested numbly, "you're talking about _treason..._"

"I'm not afraid of words, Obi-Wan! If it's treason, then so be it. I would do this right now, if I had the Council's support. The _real _treason," Mace said, "would be failure to _act!"_

"One man's treason is another's justice," Buffy noted mildly.

"Such an act, destroy the Jedi Order it could," Yoda said. "Lost the trust of the public, we have already—"

"No disrespect, Master Yoda," Mace interrupted, "but that's a politician's argument. We can't let public opinion stop us from doing what's _right.''_

Buffy sighed. "And here is where I reluctantly have to agree with Master Yoda, Master Windu," Buffy said, reluctance obvious in her voice. "Public opinion is key, especially if we are to survive. If the Order is so vilified in the publics eyes, if Palpatine gives the order to have us killed the public would not question the order. They will believe us to be a threat to everything they live for!"

"And _convinced _it is right, I am _not," _Yoda said severely. "Work­ing behind the scenes we should be, to uncover Lord Sidious! To move against Palpatine while the Sith still exist—this may be part of the Sith plan _itself, _to turn the Senate and the public against the Jedi! So, like Buffy said, we are not only disbanded, but _outlawed."_

Mace was half out of his pod. "To _wait _gives the Sith the ad­vantage—"

"Have the advantage _already, _they do!" Yoda jabbed at him with his gimer stick. "_Increase _their advantage we will, if in haste we act!"

"Masters, Masters, please," Obi-Wan said. He looked from one to the other and inclined his head respectfully. "Perhaps there is a middle way."

"Ah, of course: Kenobi the Negotiator." Mace Windu settled back into his seating pod. "I should have guessed. That is why you asked for this meeting, isn't it? To mediate our differences? If you can..."

"So sure of your skills you are?" Yoda folded his fists around the head of his stick. "Easy to negotiate, this matter is not!"

"I'll go anyway you want, Ben," Buffy said, leaning back in her chair and folding her hands behind her head. "Though, as always, I'm more open to the more violent solutions. I'm not much diplomacy-girl."

Obi-Wan sighed, then continued. "It seems to me," he said care­fully, "that Palpatine himself has given us an opening. He has said—both to you, Master Windu, and in the HoloNet address he gave following his rescue—that General Grievous is the true obstacle to peace. Let us forget about the rest of the Separatist leadership, for now. Let Nute Gunray and San Hill and the rest run wherever they like, while we put every available Jedi and all of our agents—the whole of Republic Intelligence, if we can—to work on locating Grievous himself. This will force the hand of the Sith Lord. He will know that Grievous cannot elude our full efforts for long, once we devote ourselves exclusively to his cap­ture. It will draw Sidious out; he will have to make some sort of move, if he wishes the war to continue."

"If?" Mace asked calmly. "The war has been a Sith operation from the beginning, with Dooku on one side and Sidious on the other— it has always been a plot aimed at _us. _At the Jedi. To bleed us dry of our youngest and best. To make us into something we were never intended to be."

"Seen glimpses of this truth, we all have," Yoda said sadly. "Our arrogance it is, which has stopped us from fully opening our eyes."

"Until now," Obi-Wan put in gently. "We understand now the goal of the Sith Lord, we know his tactics, and we know where to look for him. His actions will reveal him. He cannot es­cape us. He _will _not escape us."

Yoda and Mace frowned at each other for one long moment, then both of them turned to Obi-Wan and inclined their heads in mirrors of his respectful bow.

"Seen to the heart of the matter, young Kenobi has."

Mace nodded. "Yoda and I will remain on Coruscant, monitoring Palpatine's advisers and lackeys. We will move against Sidious the instant he is revealed. But who will capture Grievous? I have fought him blade-to-blade. He is more than a match for most Jedi."

"Then maybe you shouldn't send a Jedi after him," Buffy said slowly, a smile creeping across her face. "Instead, maybe you should send a Slayer…"

* * *

The next morning, a troubled Jedi found himself aimlessly walking the halls of the ancient Jedi Temple. Anakin hadn't gotten much rest last night, and had arrived much later than he had intended, missing the morning briefing. Instead of hurrying to find Obi-Wan, as he knew he should, he found himself wandering about, attempting to clear his mind and calm his spirit. 

He met with very little success for either.

After about an hour, he found himself standing at the door to Master Yoda's quarters. Many a student had found themselves in the ancient Jedi's quarters at one time or another, seeking guidance from the wizened Master. Anakin never had, though - Yoda's initial hesitance to bring him and his sister into the Order had not fully mellowed over the years, especially in his case. He had always felt that Yoda never fully trusted him, maybe even actively disliked him.

And yet, on this troubled day, he found himself being welcomed into Yoda's private chambers by the Master himself, and ushered over to one of the rounded pod seats. He sat quietly and the two meditated together for a time.

"Premoni­tions... premonitions..." Yoda spoke after a time. "Deep questions they are. Sense the fu­ture, once all Jedi could; now few alone have this skill. Visions... gifts from the Force, and curses. Signposts and snares. These vi­sions of yours..."

"They are of pain …of suffering." Anakin said, then hesitantly added, "and death."

"In these troubled times, no surprise this is," Yoda replied. "Yourself you see, or someone you know? Someone close to you?"

"Yes," Anakin had replied quietly, hoping Yoda would think he was talking about Obi-Wan.

"The fear of loss is a path to the dark side, young one," Yoda said gently. "Rejoice for those who transform into the Force. Mourn them do not. Miss them do not."

"I won't let my visions come true, Master. I _won't_,"Anakin said fiercely. "I prevented the vision of my mother's death…" He didn't mention the price of that victory, either.

"But had help, you did," Yoda replied calmly. "And not honest help, it was. Remember - fluid, the future is. Always in motion. And by taking action, bring about his vision, a Jedi can!"

Anakin sighed in frustration, then took a deep breath. "What must I do, Master?"

"What you fear to lose, train yourself to release," Yoda replied. "Let go of fear and loss cannot harm you."

"Yes, Master," Anakin replied, hiding his disappointment in what little the Jedi Master had to offer him. Silently, the two slipped back into meditation.

A short time later, Anakin found himself wandering again through the temple, this time in search of his Master. All the while, his thoughts were on how to stop his vision from coming to pass. Surely there must be a way…

His first thought, of course, was to go to his sister as Padmé had suggested. But again he thought of what she had just been through - she been strong enough to give up everything for her love, unlike him. And then she had lost them all. He wasn't sure what he was more afraid of - the disappointment she would feel in him or the pain he would cause her by essentially making her re-live that horrible experience. He refused to cause her any more heartbreak. He had seen her face the moment she realized that she had lost everything she believed she earned. Anakin believed that she had earned this.

His thoughts then turned to the Jedi Archives, and its vast library that encompassed the Order's entire twenty-five millennia of existence: everything from the widest-ranging cosmographical sur­veys to the intimate journals of a billion Jedi Knights. It was there Anakin hoped to find everything that was known about prophetic dreams—and everything that was known about pre­venting these prophecies from coming to pass.

The only problem with that plan was that the deepest secrets of the greatest Masters of the Force were stored in restricted holocrons; and access to those holocrons was denied to all but Jedi Masters.

And he couldn't exactly explain to the archives Master why he wanted them, so he couldn't touch them.

But Obi-Wan could. As a Master, and his friend, Anakin knew he would help him- if only he could find the right way to ask.

"You missed the report on the Outer Rim sieges," Obi-Wan greeted as Anakin entered the briefing room.

"I—was held up," Anakin said. "I have no excuse."

"In short, they are going very well," Obi-Wan replied. "But that isn't the big news.."

Anakin's brow furrowed. "What is 'the big news'?"

"Chancellor Palpatine wants to see you."

It took a few moments for the words to register in his sleep-deprived brain "Is Palpatine here?" Anakin asked. "Has something happened?"

"Quite the opposite," Obi-Wan said. "That shuttle did not bring the Chancellor. It is waiting to bring _you _to _him."_

"Waiting? For me?" Anakin frowned. "But—my beacon hasn't gone off. If the Council wanted me, why didn't they—"

"The Council," Obi-Wan said, "has not been consulted."

"I don't understand."

"Nor do I," Obi-Wan replied quietly. "They simply arrived some time ago. When the deck-duty Padawans questioned them, they said the Chan­cellor has requested your presence."

"Why wouldn't he go through the Council?"

"Perhaps he has some reason to believe," Obi-Wan said care­fully, "that the Council might have resisted sending you. Perhaps he did not wish to reveal his reason for this summons. Relations between the Council and the Chancellor are... stressed."

Anakin shifted uneasily, a queasy feeling settling in his stomach. "Obi-Wan, what's going on? Something's wrong, isn't it? You know something, I can tell."

Obi-Wan sighed. "And that's why I am out here, Anakin. So I can talk to you. Privately. _Not _as a member of the Jedi Council—in fact, if the Council were to find out about this conversation... well, let's say, I'd rather they didn't."

"_What _conversation? I still don't know what's going on!"

"None of us does. Not really." Obi-Wan put a hand on Anakin's shoulder and frowned deeply into his eyes. "Anakin, you know I am your friend."

"Of course you are—"

"No. No _of courses, _Anakin. Nothing is _of course _anymore. I am your friend, and _as _your friend, I am asking you: be wary of Palpatine."

"What do you mean?"

"I know you are _his _friend. I am concerned that he may not be yours. Be careful of him, Anakin. And be careful of your own feelings."

"Careful? Don't you mean, _mindful?"_

Obi-Wan's frown deepened. "No. I don't. The Force grows ever darker around us, and we are all affected by it, even as we affect it. This is a dangerous time to be a Jedi. Please, Anakin— please be _careful"_

Anakin tried for his old rakish smile. "You worry too much."

"I _have _to—"

"—because I don't worry at all, right?" Anakin finished for him.

Obi-Wan's frown softened towards a smile. "Actually, I was going to say that I have to worry; because if you get hurt your sister will come after me first."

Anakin smiled, then turned and walked towards the hanger. He stopped for a moment and called back to his Master, "If you see Buffy before me, tell her I said congratulations on her promotion."

Obi-Wan smiled at his former Padawan. "I'll be sure to tell her. Just be careful."

Anakin turned around briefly, walking backwards for a few steps as he smirked at Obi-Wan. "Hey. It's me!" he quipped, spinning back around and heading into the hanger and to the waiting shuttle. Obi-Wan sighed.

"I know," he said to no one in particular. "And that's what worries me."

TBC…

* * *

**I GOT A YAHOO GROUP!** Check my profile for the link (My Homepage). I set it up so I approve everyone who joins, but only to keep out Spam. I'll approve everyone, no worries. 

**A/N:** Holy Hannah! Nearly 6000 words! I was going to continue this chapter, but I decided to cut it off a little early. Therefore, we got a chapter that mostly starts setting things up for the last few chapters.

From here until around Mustafar, you will be seeing several scenes that are pretty much directly from the movie/book. I don't do this because I want to (hell, these scenes were the bane of my existence in the last two), I do this because these scenes are necessary for the plot. So if you see things that are very familiar, now you know why. However, I do promise that around Mustafar, and beyond, this story takes a sharp left into near-total originality.

And finally, some review responses. If I never responded to your personally, take hart- work has been kicking my ass. The good news is this- I have pre-written the next two chapters, and am currently working on Chapter 5, which will go indepth into Buffy's time on Corellia .

And so, a word to Wise:

Yes, I do skip around a lot. Yes, I do skip large chunks of character development. Yes, a lot of things happen off-screen. And while I'll take my share of the blame, for the most part you can thank George Lucas. You see, ten years passed between Episode 1 and 2, and an additional 3 years passed between 2 and 3. Nearly 20 years passes between 3 and 4. In deciding to stick to that structure, I've left out a lot of details- Buffy and Jacen getting together being just one of those things.

I am a very impatient author, I admit. I have key scenes in mind, and I want to get to them as soon as possible. In doing that, I tend to rush through things, and some things get left out. Now, sometime in the future, I hope to write a one or two chapter story detailing what happened to Buffy on Corellia. Additionally, what happens in the 'gap' between 3 and 4 will be explored, I promise. But that's a ways off, because I'm also working on two other stories.

Again, I want to thank all of my reviewers. I do appreciate your comments (even the negative ones- one doesn't learn without being criticized). But Wise, just one thing- while I appreciate your comments, I didn't appreciate your tone. You don't like how I'm writing this, please feel free to write your own story. I'd be happy to read and review it.


	4. Chapter 3: The Masters of their Domain

**Episode 3 Chapter 3**

**The Masters of their Domain

* * *

**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but a bit of the plot. Star Wars and its affiliated characters are owned by George Lucas and Lucas Arts. Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its characters are owned by Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. Certain scenes were taken from 'Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, the novelization by Matthew Stover.

* * *

**

"Once more, Aanja. Only this time, don't drop your left elbow. Keep it up - good!" Buffy nodded appreciatively at the young Padawan as she managed to deflect the small stinging bolt from the remote. "See how that worked? Keep the elbow up and you shouldn't have any more problems. Okay?"

"Yes, Master," Aanja replied, bowing slightly in respect. Buffy smiled and rolled her eyes.

"Ugh, please don't call me 'Master'. It makes me feel old."

"Now you know how I feel, Elizabeth," Halcyon greeted as he came into the training room. Buffy chuckled and with a dismissive nod to Aanja she turned to greet her fellow Master.

"You know, I had my doubts about this whole promotion deal. But I got to say, on the up side? The Padawans actually listen to me now. Zett actually took my advice on adjusting his lightsaber form - the same advice I'd been giving him for years!"

Halcyon chuckled. "Yes, the Padawans actually do listen to Masters more than Knights. Of course, now the Knights will ignore you… of course, you'd know all about that…"

Buffy smiled impishly. "I do seem to recall…"

The two Masters chuckled and then turned their attention back on to the Padawans. After a few moments, Nejaa spoke. "So, how are you holding up, Elizabeth?"

"As well as can be expected, I suppose," she replied after a few moments. "It may sound weird, but even though I miss my family, I know I'll see them again some day. That knowledge makes it easier."

"A wise opinion, Master Skywalker."

Buffy rolled her eyes and turned to look at the approaching Obi-Wan. "Don't call me Master."

"It's your title."

"I'll take the pay raise, but you keep the title." Obi-Wan chuckled at her antics, and Buffy couldn't help but let out a small grin. "So, have you seen my wayward brother yet? I was looking forward to rubbing my promotion in his face at the briefing today…"

"Ah, yes. The model Jedi," Nejaa quipped, earning a slap on his arm from Buffy. He grimaced and rubbed the spot, trying to restore circulation. "Sithspawn, Buffy. That was your bionic arm."

"Oh, grow up. You know my real arm is just as bad," Buffy joked before turning back to Obi-Wan. "So, where is he?" At the hesitation on the Jedi's face, Buffy's look darkened. "Benny…"

Obi-Wan glanced at Nejaa, who took his cue to leave. "Why don't I watch over the Younglings, while you two chat?" he asked, moving towards the dueling Padawans. Obi-Wan gently took her real arm and guided her out onto the balcony that overlooked the city. "Anakin's been sent on… a bit of an errand."

"Funny - I don't recall the Council sending anybody on any errands today," Buffy said dangerously. Obi-Wan gulped - he knew that tone.

"Well, you see—"

"Ben, cut to the chase, or so help me…"

"The Chancellor sent for him..."

There was a pause. Obi-Wan watched her carefully neutral face before he noticed the cords in her neck tighten. Her eyes brightened suspiciously. And then as expected Buffy exploded. "Huh choo-shung tza-jiao duh tzang-huo! How could you let him go?"

Obi-Wan sighed. "Buffy, one does not just refuse a summons from the supreme Chancellor-"

"I have!" Buffy responded hotly.

"And notice you haven't been invited back."

"The man's evil!"

"We don't know that for sure." At Buffy's look, Obi-Wan continued. "I told Anakin to be wary, Buffy."

"He shouldn't be seeing him at all!" Buffy pressed. "He always listened to me on this before I left. I leave a few years, I come back, and all of the sudden he's getting buddy-buddy with the bastard again!"

Obi-Wan looked on Buffy with concern. "Buffy, what's wrong?"

"What's wrong? Palpatine is evil! He's going to be the death of us all, mark my words! And don't talk to me about proof - I'm a Slayer. It's my job to know whose evil-"

"Buffy, stop stalling and answer my question," Obi-Wan interrupted. Then in a gentler tone, he added, "Elizabeth, what's troubling you?"

Buffy took a shuddering breath as she observed the cityscape before her. "I've lost two families, Benny," she finally said after a few minutes. Her voice was so small and forlorn. "Shmi and Ani are the only family I have left. _If_ I were to lose them… I don't know what I'd do." She looked at Obi-Wan with watery eyes. "I can't lose him too, Ben. Not after Jacen and the kids. Not after Willow…" Buffy took a calming breath and turned from Obi-Wan to face the city."I don't trust Palpatine, Ben. You mark my words - that man will be the death of us."

* * *

Anakin stood in the Chancellor's office looking out at the ruined city. Large swatches of buildings were still burning even hours after the battle had ended. Even as he looked out at the city though he couldn't help but dwell on Obi-Wan's warning - _Be wary of Palpatine._ It was absurd, of course. Palpatine was his friend and had been his friend since he had first arrived on this planet. Even though Buffy didn't fully trust the man, Anakin's faith in his leadership had never wavered. 

"Do you see, Anakin?" Palpatine's voice was soft, hoarse with emotion. "Do you see what they have done to our magnifi­cent city? This war _must _end! We cannot allow such... such..."

His voice trailed away and he shook his head. Gently, Anakin laid a reassuring hand on Palpatine's shoulder. "You know you have my best efforts and those of every Jedi," he said.

Palpatine nodded, lowering his head. "I know I have yours, Anakin. The rest of the Jedi..." He sighed, looking even more exhausted than he had yesterday.

"I have asked you here," he said slowly, "because I need your help on a matter of extreme delicacy. I hope I can depend upon your discretion, Anakin."

_Be wary of Palpatine_ Anakin heard Obi-Wan's voice tell him. "As a Jedi, there are... limits... to my discretion, Chan­cellor."

"Oh, of course. Don't worry, my boy." A flash of his familiar fatherly smile forced its way into his eyes. "Anakin, in all the years we have been friends, have I ever asked you to do anything even the slightest bit against your conscience?"

"Well—"

"And I never will. I am very proud of your accomplishments as a Jedi, Anakin. You have won many battles the Jedi Council in­sisted to me were already lost—and you saved my _life. _It's frankly appalling that they still keep you off the Council yourself. Especially now that your sister has been appointed to it."

"My time will come... when I am older. And, I suppose, wiser." He didn't want to get into this with Palpatine; talking with the Chancellor like this—seriously, man-to-man—made him feel good, feel strong, despite Obi-Wan's warning. He cer­tainly didn't want to start whining about being passed over for Mastery like some preadolescent Padawan, especially since his sister had been given the honor instead of him. That even after everything she had done against the Jedi, they not only had let her back in, but _promoted _her of all things…

"Nonsense. Age is no measure of wisdom. They keep you off the Council because it is the last hold they have on you, Anakin; it is how they control you. Once you're a Master, as you deserve, low will they make you do their bidding?"

"Well..." Anakin gave him a half-sheepish smile. "They can't exactly _make _me, even now."

"I know, my boy. I know. That is precisely the point. You are not like them. You are younger. Stronger. _Better. _If they cannot control you now, what will happen once you are a Master in your own right? How will they keep your toes on their political line? You may become more powerful than all of them together. That is why they keep you down. They fear your power. They fear _you."_

Anakin looked down. This had struck a little close to the bone. "I have sensed... something like that."

"I have asked you here today, Anakin, because I have fears of my own." He turned, waiting, until Anakin met his eye and on Palpatine's face was something approaching bleak despair. "I am coming to fear the Jedi themselves."

"Oh, Chancellor—" Anakin broke into a smile of disbelief. "There is no one more loyal than the Jedi, sir—surely, after all this time—"

But Palpatine had already turned away. He lowered himself into the chair behind his desk and kept his head down as though he was ashamed to say this directly to Anakin's face. "The Coun­cil keeps pushing for more control. More autonomy. They have lost all respect for the rule of law. They have become more con­cerned with avoiding the oversight of the Senate than with win­ning the war."

"With respect, sir, many on the Council would say the same of _you." _He thought of Obi-Wan and Buffy and he had to stop himself from wincing. Had he betrayed a confidence just now? Or had Obi-Wan been doing the Council's bidding after all?..._ Be wary of Palpatine, _he'd said, and _be careful of your feelings..._Were these honest warnings, out of concern for him? Or had they been _calculated: _seeds of doubt planted to hedge Anakin away from the one man who really understood him?

The one man he could really trust...

"Oh, I have no doubt of it," Palpatine was saying. "Many of the Jedi on your Council would prefer I was out of office altogether—because they know I'm on to them, now. They're shrouded in secrecy, obsessed with covert action against mysteri­ously faceless enemies—"

"Well, the Sith are hardly faceless, are they? I mean, Dooku himself—"

"Was he truly a Lord of the Sith? Or was he just another in your string of fallen Jedi, posturing with a red lightsaber to in­timidate you?"

"I..." Anakin frowned. He was _sure_ Dooku was a Sith. Wasn't he? "But _Sidious..."_

"Ah, yes, the mysterious Lord Sidious. The _Sith infiltrator _in the _highest _levels of _government. _Doesn't that sound a little overly familiar to you, Anakin? A little overly _convenient? _How do you know this Sidious even exists? How do you know he is not a _fiction, _an illusion created by the Jedi Council, to give them an excuse to harass their political enemies?"

"The Jedi are not political—"

"In a democracy, _everything _is political, Anakin. And every­one. This imaginary Sith Lord of theirs—even if he does exist, is he anyone to be feared? To be hunted down and exterminated without trial?"

"The Sith are the definition of evil—"

"Or so you have been trained to believe. I have been read­ing about the history of the Sith for some years now, Anakin. Ever since the Council saw fit to finally reveal to me their... _assertion..._ that these millennium-dead sorcerers had suppos­edly sprung back to life. Not every tale about them is sequestered in your conveniently secret Temple archives. From what I have read, they were not so different from Jedi; seeking power, to be sure, but so does your Council."

"The dark side—"

"Oh, yes, yes, certainly, the dark side. Listen to me: if this 'Darth Sidious' of yours were to walk through _that _door right _now_—and I could somehow stop you from killing him on the spot—do you know what I would do?" Palpatine rose, and his voice rose with him. "I would ask him to _sit down, _and I would ask him if he has any power he could use to _end this war!_"

"You would—you would—" Anakin couldn't quite make himself believe what he was hearing. He knew how evil the Dark Side was. Surely the Chancellor, his friend, wouldn't consort with the type of person who would use that power…

"And if he said he _did, _I'd bloody well offer him a _brandy _and _talk it out!"_

"You—Chancellor, you can't be _serious_—"

"Well, not entirely," Palpatine sighed and shrugged, lowering himself once more into his chair. "It's only an example, Anakin. I would do anything to return peace to the galaxy, do you understand? That's all I mean. After all—" He offered a tired, sadly ironic smile, "what are the chances of an actual Sith Lord ever walking through that door?"

"I wouldn't know," Anakin said feelingly, "but I do know that you probably shouldn't use that... _example..._ in front of the Jedi Council."

"Oh, yes," Palpatine chuckled. "Yes, quite right. They might take it as an excuse to accuse _me."_

"I'm sure they'd never do _that_—"

"I am not. I am no longer sure they'll stop at anything, Anakin. That's actually the reason I asked you here today." He leaned forward intently, resting his elbows on the desk. "You may have heard that this afternoon, the Senate will call upon this office to assume direct control of the Jedi Council."

Anakin's frown deepened. "The Jedi will no longer report to the Senate?"

"They will report to me. Personally. The Senate is too unfo­cused to conduct this war; we've seen this for years. Now that this office will be the single authority to direct the prosecution of the war, we'll bring a quick end to things."

Anakin nodded. "I can see how that will help, sir, but the Council probably won't. I can tell you that they are in no mood for further constitutional amendments."

"Yes, thank you, my friend. But in this case, I have no choice. This war must be won."

"Everyone agrees on that."

"I hope they do, my boy. I hope they do."

Inside his head, he heard the echo of Obi-Wan, murmuring _relations between the Council and the Chancellor are... stressed. _What had been going on here in the capital? Weren't they all on the same side?

"I can assure you," he said firmly, "that the Jedi are ab­solutely dedicated to the core values of the Republic."

One of Palpatine's eyebrows arched. "Their actions will speak more loudly than their words—as long as someone keeps an eye on them. And that, my boy, is exactly the favor I must ask of you."

"I don't understand."

"Anakin, I am asking you—as a personal favor to me, in re­spect for our long friendship—to accept a post as my personal representative on the Jedi Council."

Anakin blinked. He blinked again. He said, "Me?"

"Who else?" Palpatine spread his hands in a melancholy shrug. "You are the only Jedi I know, truly _know, _that I can trust. _I need _you, my boy. There is no one else who can do this job: to be the eyes and ears—and the voice—of the Republic on the Jedi Council."

"On the Council...," Anakin murmured. He could see himself seated in one of the low, curving chairs, opposite Mace Windu. Opposite Y_oda. _He might sit next to Ki-Adi-Mundi, or Plo Koon—or even beside his sister! And he could not quite ignore the thought that he was about to become the youngest Master in the twenty-five-thousand-year history of the Jedi Order...

But none of that really mattered.

Palpatine had somehow seen into his secret heart, and had chosen to offer him the one thing he most desired in the entire galaxy. He didn't care about the Council, not really—that was a childish dream. He didn't need the Council. He didn't need recognition, and he didn't need respect. What he needed was the rank itself.

All that mattered was Mastery.

All that mattered was Padmé.

This was a gift beyond gifts: as a Master, he could access those forbidden holocrons in the restricted vault.

He could find a way to save her from his dream...

He shook himself back to the present. "I... am over­whelmed, sir. But the Council elects its own members. They will never accept this."

"I promise you they will," Palpatine murmured imper­turbably. He swung his chair around to gaze out the window toward the distant spires of the Temple. "They need you more than they realize."

* * *

Buffy sat in her quarters, staring pensively at the holopic before her. In it, a younger looking Buffy leaned back against her fiancé, Jacen's strong arms wrapped around her waist, his chin resting lightly on her shoulder. In her arms was her baby girl, Joyce, and lying on his side on the floor with his head propped up with one hand was Han. She smiled at her family, and then looked back up at the mirror on her desk. 

_What a difference a few months can make. Eh, Buffy? What a difference a few months can make. Eh, Buffy? _She thought to herself. Her hair was cut short once more, only coming down to about an inch above her shoulders and was lined with grey hairs. The lines on her face had become more pronounced now then they were then, though her laugh lines had seemed to recede.

_Thirty-six years old… 36,_ she thought to herself. _The oldest living Slayer on record. And I've managed to lose not one, but two families. Got to be a record…_

A chime sounded, pulling her from these thoughts. Buffy waved her hand at the door, causing it to open. She then smiled at the face that greeted her.

"Master Secura. What can I do for you?"

Aayla Secura smiled and entered the room. "We're both Masters now, Buffy. You may call me Aayla."

"Very well, Aayla," Buffy replied. "What can I do for you?"

"I wanted to tell you the Council is convening," the Twi'lek replied. "The Chancellor has appointed a personal representative to report back to him. It's Anakin, Buffy."

Buffy sighed. "He's up to something. I can't see what… but it isn't good, whatever it is."

Aayla nodded in agreement, and then noticed the holopic. "Was that your family?" she asked, motioning to the picture. Buffy nodded in return.

That's Jacen," she said, pointing to each person in turn, "and that's Han and the little girl was Joyce."

"Do you miss them?" Aayla asked carefully in a neutral tone. Buffy gave the Master a small smile.

"Of course. But I know that they're in a better place now. And I know that, one day, I'll see them again. And that's good enough for me."

Master Secura smiled. "That's a very wise observation, Buffy," she said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I must admit, Buffy - I was worried about you. When we stopped hearing from you, I feared you had died. And when you came back - well, I feared you would be lost to the Jedi. You know the rules of attachment…"

"And you know my feelings on them, Aayla," Buffy responded. "The Watcher's Council had similar rules. And as a result, most Slayers didn't live past sixteen." She placed the holopic gently down on her desk. "I don't regret what I did, nor do I apologize for it."

"I can't say I fully understand, Buffy," Aayla replied solemnly. "But I am glad you are back. So, shall we adjourn to the meeting?"

Five minutes later, the two Masters entered the Council chambers and took their seats. "So, I hear _Mein Fuhrer_ made my brother his spokesman. Can we all agree now that he's evil and must be destroyed?"

"Buffy…" Obi-Wan started, and then let it drop when the Slayer raised her hands in defeat.

"Appointed by the Chancellor or not, we could simply refuse his appointment, and appoint someone else." Mace said, looking at Obi-Wan. "Do you trust Anakin to do his duty?"

"Yes, of course I trust him," he said patiently. "We can always trust Anakin to do what he thinks is right. But we _can't _trust him to do what he's _told. _He can't be made to simply _obey. _Believe me: I've been trying for many years."

"Amen to that, brother." Buffy added with a snort.

"An unintentional opportunity, the Chancellor has given us," Yoda said gravely. "A window he has opened into the opera­tions of his office. Fools we would be, to close our eyes."

"Then we should use someone else's eyes," Obi-Wan said quietly. "Forgive me, Master Yoda, but you just don't know him the way I do. None of you does. He is _fiercely _loyal, and there is not a gram of deception in him. You've all seen it; it's one of the argu­ments that some of you, here in this room, have used against el­evating him to Master: he _lacks true Jedi reserve, _that's what you've said. And by that we all mean that he wears his emotions like a HoloNet banner. How can you ask him to lie to a friendto _spy _upon him?"

"That is why we must call upon a friend to ask him," said Agen Kolar in his gentle Zabrak baritone.

"You don't understand. Don't make him choose between me and Palpatine—"

_"Why not?" _asked the holo-presence of Plo Koon from the bridge of _Courageous, _where he directed the Republic Navy strike force against the Separatist choke point in the Ywllandr system. _"Do you fear you would lose such a contest?"_

"I don't think he's worried about losing, per say," Buffy interjected. "He's merely worried that Anakin won't be able to lie to a friend. He's a terrible liar in the first place - he won't be able to keep this from Palpatine. The old man's too cunning for that."

"And you don't know how much Palpatine's friendship has meant to him over the years," Obi-Wan added, "especially during Buffy's absence. You're asking him to use that friendship as a weapon! To stab his friend in the back. Don't you understand what this will cost him, even if Palpatine is entirely innocent? _Especially _if he's innocent. Their relationship will never be the same—"

"And that," Mace Windu said, "may be the best argument in favor of this plan. I have told you all what I have seen of the en­ergy between Skywalker and the Supreme Chancellor. Anything that might distance young Skywalker from Palpatine's influence is worth the attempt."

"I agree with Master Windu," Buffy replied. "They're too close. This may be the best way to distance them. I'd offer to do this, but Anakin knows my feeling about Palpatine."

Obi-Wan didn't need to reach into the Force to know that he would lose this argument. He inclined his head. "I will, of course, abide by the ruling of this Council."

"Doubt of that, none of us has." Yoda turned his green gaze on the other councilors. "But if to be done this is, decide we must how best to use him."

The holopresence of Ki-Adi-Mundi flickered in and out of focus as the Cerean Master leaned forward, folding his hands. _"I, too have reservations on this matter, but it seems that in these des­perate times, only desperate plans have hope of success. We have seen that young Skywalker has the power to battle a Sith Lord alone, if need be; he has proven that with Dooku. If he is indeed the chosen one, we must keep him in play against the Sith_—_keep him in a position to fulfill his destiny."_

"And even if the prophecy has been misread," Agen Kolar added, "Anakin is one of the Jedi we can best hope would survive an encounter with a Sith Lord. So let us also use him to help us set our trap. In Council, let us emphasize that we are intensifying our search for Grievous. Anakin will certainly report this to the Chancellor's Office. Perhaps, as you say, that will draw Sidious into action."

"It may not be enough," Mace Windu said. "Let us take this one step farther—we should appear shorthanded and weak, giv­ing Sidious an opening to make a move he thinks will go unob­served. I'm thinking that perhaps we should let the Chancellor's Office know that Yoda and I have both been forced to take the field—"

"Too risky that is," Yoda said. "And too convenient. One of us only should go."

"Then it should be you, Master Yoda," Agen Kolar said. "It is your sensitivity to the broader currents of the Force that a Sith Lord has most reason to fear."

Obi-Wan felt the ripple of agreement flow through the Chamber and Yoda nodded solemnly. "The Separatist attack on Kashyyyk, a compelling excuse will make. And good relations with the Wookiees I have; destroy the droid armies I can, and still be available to Coruscant, should Sidious take our bait."

"Agreed." Mace Windu looked around the half-empty Council Chamber with a deepening frown. "And one last touch…let's let the Chancellor know, through Anakin, that our most cunning and insightful Master—as well as the Slayer—is to lead the hunt for Grievous."

_"So Sidious will need to act, and act fast, if the war is to be maintained," _Plo Koon added approvingly.

Yoda nodded judiciously. "Agreed," Agen Kolar assented as well, as did Ki-Adi-Mundi.

"This sounds like a good plan," Obi-Wan said. "But what Master do you have in mind?"

For a moment no one spoke, as though astonished he would ask such a question.

Only after a few seconds during which Obi-Wan looked from the faces of one Master to the next, puzzled by the expressions of gentle amusement each and every one of them wore, did it finally register that all of them were looking at _him._

Buffy smirked. "Sucks to be you, Benny." She quipped.

* * *

By the time the doors to the Jedi Council Chamber finally swung open, Anakin had been waiting for some time. He was annoyed that they had made him wait so long. Him, a hero of the Republic, the man who had single-handedly beaten Count Dooku… 

Anakin walked in through the opened doors, carefully controlling his temper. He remembered too well the first time he had entered this Chamber, the first time he had stood within a ring of Jedi Mas­ters gathered to sit in judgment upon his fate. He remembered how Yoda's green stare had seen into his heart, had seen the cold worm of dread eating away at him, no matter how hard he'd tried to deny it: the awful fear he'd felt that he might never see his mother again.

He moved slowly into the center of the circle of brown-toned carpet, and turned toward the Senior Members.

Yoda was unreadable as always, his rumpled features com­posed in a mask of serene contemplation.

Mace Windu could have been carved from stone.

Ghost-images of Ki-Adi-Mundi and Plo Koon hovered a centimeter above their Council seats, maintained by the seats' inter­nalholoprojectors. Agen Kolar sat next to Aayla Secura, who herself sat next to the empty chair belonging to Shaak Ti.

Obi-Wan sat in the chair that once had belonged to Oppo Rancisis, looking pensive. Even worried. As did his sister, who sat next to his former Master.

"Anakin Skywalker." Master Windu's tone was so severe that Anakin had to fight himself not to wince. "The Council has decided to comply with Chancellor Palpatine's directive, and with the instructions of the Senate that give him the unprece­dented authority to command this Council. You are hereby granted a seat at the High Council of the Jedi, as the Chancel­lor's personal representative."

Anakin stood very still for a long moment, until he could be absolutely sure he had heard what he thought he'd heard.

Palpatine had been right. He seemed to be right about a lot of things, these days. In fact—now that Anakin came to think of it—he couldn't remember a single instance when the Supreme Chancellor had been wrong.

Finally, as it began to sink in upon him, as he gradually al­lowed himself to understand that the Council had finally decided to grant him his heart's desire, that they finally had recognized his accomplishments, his dedication, his _power, _he took a slow, deep breath.

"Thank you, Masters. You have my pledge that I will uphold the highest principles of the Jedi Order."

"Allow this appointment lightly, the Council does not." Yoda's ears curled forward at Anakin like accusing fingers. "Disturbing is this move by Chancellor Palpatine. On many levels."

_They have become more concerned with avoiding the oversight of the Senate than they are with winning the war..._

Anakin inclined his head. "I understand."

"I'm not sure you do." Mace Windu leaned forward, his eyes narrowing.

Anakin was barely paying attention; in his mind, he was already leaving the Council Chamber, riding the turbolift to the archives, demanding access to the restricted vault by authority of his new rank—

"You will attend the meetings of this Council," the Korun Master said, "but you will not be granted the rank and privileges of a Jedi Master."

"What?"

It was a small word, a simple word, an instinctive recoil from words that felt like punches, like stun blasts exploding inside his brain that left his head ringing and the room spinning around him—but even to his own ears, the voice that came from his lips didn't sound like his own. It was deeper, darker, clipped and oiled, resonating from the depths of his heart.

It didn't sound like him at all and it smoked with fury.

"How dare you? How _dare _you?"

Anakin stood welded to the floor, motionless. He wasn't even truly aware of speaking. It was as if someone else was using his mouth—and now, finally, he recognized the voice.

It sounded like Dooku. But it was not Dooku's voice.

It was the voice of Dooku's destroyer.

"No Jedi in this room can match my power—no Jedi in the _galaxy! _You think you can deny Mastery to _me?"_

"The Chancellor's representative you are," Yoda said. "And it is as his representative you shall attend the Council. Sit in this Chamber you will, but no vote will you have. The Chancellor's views you shall present. His wishes. His ideas and directives. Not your own."

"This is an insult to me, and to the Chancellor," he responded coldly, fury evident in his voice nonetheless. "Do not imagine that it will be tolerated."

Mace Windu's eyes were as cold as the voice from Anakin's mouth. "Take your seat, young Skywalker."

Anakin matched his stare. _Perhaps I'll take yours. _His own voice inside his head, had a hot black fire that smoked from the depths of his furnace heart. _You think you can stop me from sav­ing my love? You think you can make me watch her die? Go ahead and Vaapad _this, _you—_

"Anakin, pull yourself together and sit your ass down." Anakin spun to face the owner of the blunt voice and he saw his sister's disappointed and yet concerned face looking back at him. "Sit down, Ani," she continued, her tone becoming more soft and deadly, "before you make an even bigger ass of yourself."

And something in Buffy's tone - the disappointment, the worry - dissipated his anger. Ashamed, Anakin found himself alone on the carpet in the middle of the Jedi Council, blinking.

He suddenly felt very young, and very foolish. "Forgive me, Masters." His bow of contrition couldn't hide the blaze of embarrassment that climbed his cheeks.

The rest of the session passed in a haze; he was so numbly astonished by his behavior that he barely regis­tered what they were saying about a droid landing on Kashyyyk—but he had to say _something, _he couldn't just _sit _here for his whole first meeting of the Council, Master or not—and he knew the Kashyyyk system almost as well as he knew the back al­leys of Mos Espa. "I can handle it," he offered, suddenly bright­ening. "I could clear that planet in a day or two—"

"Skywalker, your assignment is _here._"Mace Windu's stare was hard as durasteel, and only a scrape short of openly hostile.

Then Yoda volunteered, and for some reason, the Council didn't even bother to vote.

"It is settled then," Mace said. "May the Force be with us all."

And as the holopresences of Plo Koon and Ki-Adi-Mundi winked out, as Obi-Wan and Buffy rose and spoke together in tones softly grave, as Yoda and Mace Windu walked from the room, Anakin could only sit, sick at heart, stunned with helpless­ness.

_Padme_—_oh, Padme, what are we going to do?_

_And what am I becoming?

* * *

_

TBC...

A/N: Nothing of note this week. Again, if you haven't please come join my Yahoo group. I'll be posting new chapters there when I post them here, as well as be giving out announcement about upcomming stories. Thanks as always for the reviews, and I'll see you next week!

Oh, and sorry about the title. It was too good an opportunity to pass up;)


	5. Chapter 4: Politics

**Episode 3 Chapter 4**

**Politics

* * *

**

**Disclaimer: I still own nothing. Star Wars and its characters are owned by George Lucas and Lucas Arts. Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its characters are owned by Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. Certain scenes were taken from the novelization by Mathew Stover mostly verbatim due to their overall importance in the story.**

* * *

Bail Organa stopped cold in the middle of the Grand Con­course that ringed the Senate's Convocation Chamber, staring up in disbelief at one of the huge holoprojected Procla­mation Boards; these had recently been installed above the con­course to keep the thousands of Senators up to the moment on news of the war and on the Chancellor's latest executive orders.

His heart tripped and he couldn't seem to make his eyes focus. He pushed his way through the press to a hardcopy stand and punched a quick code. When he had the flimsies in his hands they still said the same thing.

He'd been expecting this day. Since yesterday, when the Sen­ate had voted to give Palpatine control of the Jedi, he'd known it would come soon. He'd even started planning for it.

But that didn't make it any easier to bear.

He found his way to a public comm booth and keyed a pri­vacy code. The transparisteel booth went opaque as stone and a moment later a hand-sized image shimmered into existence above the small holodisk: a slender woman in floor-length white; with short, neatly clipped auburn hair and a clear, steadily intelligent gaze from her aquamarine eyes.

_"Bail," _she said. _"What's_ _happened?"_

Bail frowned at the woman. "Have you seen this morning's decree?"

_"The Sector Governance Decree? Yes, I have_—

"It's time, Mon," he said grimly. "It's time to stop talking, and start _doing. _We have to bring in the Senate."

_"I agree, but we must tread carefully. Have you thought about whom we should consult? Whom we can trust?"_

"Not in detail. Giddean Danu springs to mind. I'm sure we can trust Fang Zar, too."

_"Agreed. What about Iridik'k-stallu? Her hearts are in the right place. Or Chi Eekway."_

Bail shook his head. "Maybe later. It'll take a few hours at least to figure out exactly where they stand. We need to start with Senators we _know _we can trust."

_"All right. Then Terr Taneel would be my next choice. And, I think, Amidala of Naboo."_

"Padme?" Bail frowned. "I'm not sure."

_"You know her better than I do, Bail, but to my mind she is ex­actly the type of Senator we need. She is intelligent, principled and ex­tremely articulate and she has the heart of a warrior."_

"She is also a longtime associate of Palpatine," he reminded her. "He was her ambassador during her term as Queen of Naboo. How sure can you be that she will stand with us and not with him?"

_"There's only one way to find out,."_ Senator Mon Mothma replied serenely.

* * *

"I am no happier than the rest of you about this," Padme said, gesturing at the flimsiplast of the Sector Governance Decree on Bail Organa's desk. "But I've known Palpatine for years; he was my most trusted adviser. I'm not prepared to believe his in­tent is to dismantle the Senate."

"Why should he bother?" Mon Mothma countered. "As a practical matter—as of this morning—the Senate no longer ex­ists."

Padme looked from one grim face to another. Giddean Danu nodded his agreement. Terr Taneel kept her eyes down, pretend­ing to be adjusting her robes. Fang Zar ran a hand over his un­ruly gray-streaked topknot.

Bail leaned forward. His eyes were hard as chips of stone. "Palpatine no longer has to worry about controlling the Senate. By placing his own lackeys as governors over every planet in the Republic, he controls our systems _directly.'' _The statesman folded his hands, and squeezed them together until his knuckles hurt. "He's be­come a dictator. We _made _him a dictator."

_And he's my husband's friend, and mentor, _Padmé thought._ I shouldn't even be listening to this._

_Well, if it works…_Anakin's voice suddenly rung out in her head as she recalled that picnic long ago on Naboo.

"But what can we _do _about it?" Terr Taneel asked, still gaz­ing down at her robe with a worried frown.

"That's what we asked you here to discuss," Mon Mothma told her calmly. "What we're going to do about it."

Fang Zar shifted uncomfortably. "I'm not sure I like where this is going."

"None of us likes where _anything _is going," Bail said, half ris­ing. "That's exactly the point. We can't let a thousand years of democracy disappear without a fight!"

_"A fight?" _Padmé asked. "I can't believe what I'm hearing— Bail, you sound like a Separatist!"

"I—" Bail sank back into his seat. "I apologize. That was not my intent. I asked you all here because of all the Senators in the galaxy, you four have been the most consistent—and _influential_— voices of reason and restraint, doing all you could to preserve our poor, tattered Constitution. We don't want to hurt the Republic. With your help, we hope to _save _it."

"It has become increasingly clear," Mon Mothma said, "that Palpatine has become an enemy of democracy. He must be stopped."

"The Senate gave him these powers," Padmé said. "The Sen­ate can rein him in."

Giddean Danu sat forward. "I fear you underestimate just how deeply the Senate's corruption has taken hold. Who will vote against Palpatine now?"

"_I_ will," Padmé said. She discovered that she meant it. "And I'll find others, too." She'd have to. No matter how much it hurt Anakin. _Oh, my love, will you ever find a way to forgive me?_

"You do that," Bail said. "Make as much noise as you can— keep Palpatine watching what you're doing in the Senate. That should provide some cover while Mon Mothma and I begin building our organization—"

"Stop." Padmé rose, her clear voice wavering. "It's better to leave some things unsaid. Right now, its better I don't know anything about... any­thing."

_Don't make me lie to my husband _was her unspoken plea. She tried to convey it with her eyes. _Please, Bail. Don't make me lie to him. It will break his heart._

Perhaps he saw something there; after a moment's indeci­sion, he nodded. "Very well. Other matters can be left for other times. Until then, this meeting must remain absolutely secret Even hinting at an effective opposition to Palpatine can be as we've all seen, very dangerous. We must agree never to speak of these matters except among the people who are now in this room. We must bring no one into this secret without the agree­ment of each and every one of us."

"That includes even those closest to you," Mon Mothma added. "Even your families—to share anything of this will expose them to the same danger we all face. No one can be told. No one."

Padmé watched them all nod, and what could she do? What could she say? _You can keep your own secrets, but I'll have to tell my Jedi husband, who is Palpatine's beloved protégé..._

She sighed. "Yes. Yes: agreed."

And all she could think as the little group dispersed to their own offices was _Oh, Anakin_—_Anakin, I'm sorry..._

_I'm so sorry…

* * *

_

Anakin was glad the vast vaulted Temple hallway was de­serted save for him, Buffy and Obi-Wan; he didn't have to keep his voice down.

"This is _outrageous. _How can they _do _this?"

"Very easily, apparently," Buffy shot back evenly. Deep down, she was getting increasingly worried. These outbursts of his were becoming more emotional and more frequent. _Something else is bothering him, and I've got to get to the bottom of it…_

Meanwhile, Obi-Wan countered on his own. "How can they not? It's your friend­ship with the Chancellor—the same friendship that got you a seat at the Council—that makes it impossible to grant you Mastery. In the Council's eyes, that would be the same as giving a vote to Palpatine himself!"

He waved this off. He didn't have time for the Council's political maneuvering—_Padmé _didn't have time. "I didn't ask for this. I don't _need _this. So if I wasn't friends with Palpatine I'd be a Master already, is that what you're saying?"

Buffy remained silent, even as Obi-Wan looked pained. "I don't know."

"I have the power of any five Masters. Any _ten. _You know it, and so do they."

"Power alone is no credit to you—"

Anakin flung an arm back toward the Council Tower. "_They're _the ones who call me the Chosen One! Chosen for what? To be a dupe in some slimy political game?"

Obi-Wan winced as if he'd been stung. "Didn't I warn you, Anakin? I told you of the... tension... between the Council and the Chancellor. I was very clear. Why didn't you _listen? _You walked right into it!"

"Like that ray shield trap," Anakin snorted. "Should I blame _this _on the dark side, too?"

"However it happened," Obi-Wan said, "you are in a very... delicate situation."

"_What _situation? Who cares about _me?_ I'm no Master. I'm just a _kid, _right? Is that what it's about? Is Master Windu turning everyone against me because until I came along, he was the youngest Jedi ever named to the Council?"

"No one cares about that—"

"Sure they don't. Let me tell you something a smart _old _man said to me no so long ago: _Age is no measure of wisdom. _If it were, Yoda would be twenty times as wise as _you _are—"

"This has nothing to do with Master Yoda," Obi-Wan replied quietly.

"That's right. It has to do with _me. _It has to do with them all being _against _me. They always _have _been—most of them didn't even want me to _be _a Jedi. And if they'd won out, where would they be right now? Who would have done the things I've done? Who would have saved Naboo? Who would have saved Kamino? Who would have killed Dooku, and rescued the Chancellor? Who would have come for you and Alpha after Ventress—"

"Yes, Anakin, yes. Of course. No one questions your accom­plishments. It's your relationship to Palpatine that is the prob­lem. And it is a very _serious _problem."

"I'm too close to him? Maybe I am. Maybe I should alienate a man who's been nothing but kind and generous to me ever since I first _came _to this planet! Maybe I should reject the only man who gives me the respect I _deserve_—"

"Oh Ani, would you get over yourself!" Buffy suddenly shouted, interrupting Anakin's pity party. "Just listen to yourself! It's not just that you're too young; it's not just your friends with Old Dirty Bastard… no. It's because when you don't get your way you whine like a spoiled two-year-old! Just look how you behaved in the Council chambers - it's no wonder they won't make you a Master if you can't even master yourself."

Anakin's eyes widened at Buffy's outburst. She hadn't yelled at him like that since they were both Padawans. After a moment, he passed his hand over his eyes and drew a long, heavy breath. In a much lower, calmer, quieter tone, he said, "What do I have to do?"

Obi-Wan frowned. "I'm sorry?"

"They want something from me, don't they? That's what this is really about. That's what it's been about from the begin­ning. They won't give me my rank until I give them what they want."

"The Council does not operate that way, Anakin, and you know it."

"That's bullshit, Ben, and you know it," Buffy interrupted, and then turned to her brother. "There is something the Council wants you to do, little brother. Whether or not it earns you a promotion - well, that's not up to me…"

Anakin sighed, tired of all of the politics. "Just tell me what they want, sister _dearest_."

Buffy looked to Obi-Wan, whose eyes shifted. The sick fatigue in Anakin's guts turned darker. _How bad did it have to be to make Obi-Wan un­able to look him in the eye?_ What startled him more was the look in his sister's eyes; he had never seen that look before.

"Anakin, look, we're on your side," Obi-Wan said softly. He looked tired, too: he looked as tired and sick as Anakin felt. "I never wanted to see you put in this situation."

"What situation?" Still Obi-Wan hesitated. Finally Anakin said, "Look, whatever it is, it's not getting any better while you're standing here working up the nerve to tell me. Come on, Obi-Wan. Let's have it."

Obi-Wan glanced around the empty hall as if he wanted to make sure they were still alone; Anakin had a feeling it was just an excuse to avoid facing him when he spoke.

"The Council," Obi-Wan said slowly, "approved your ap­pointment because Palpatine trusts you. They want you to report on all his dealings. They have to know what he's up to."

"They want me to _spy _on the _Supreme Chancellor of the Re­public?" _Anakin blinked numbly. No wonder Obi-Wan couldn't look him in the face. "Obi-Wan, that's _treason!"_

"We are at war, Anakin." Obi-Wan looked thoroughly mis­erable. "The Council is sworn to uphold the principles of the Re­public through any means necessary. We _have _to. Especially when the greatest enemy of those principles seems to be the Chancel­lor himself!"

"Besides, it's only treason if you get caught," Buffy added, trying to lighten the mood. Anakin looked darkly in her direction, and she shrugged. "Well, it's true."

Anakin's eyes narrowed and turned hard. "Why didn't the Council give me this assignment while we were in session?"

"Because it's not for the record, Anakin. You must be able to understand why," Obi-Wan answered.

"What I understand," Anakin said grimly, "is that you are trying to turn me against Palpatine. You're trying to make me keep _secrets _from him—you want to make me _lie _to him. That's what this is _really _about."

"It _isn't," _Obi-Wan insisted. He looked wounded. "It's about keeping an eye on who he deals with and who deals with him."

"He's not a bad man, Obi-Wan—he's a _great _man, who's holding this Republic together with his bare _hands_—"

"By staying in office long after his term has expired. By gath­ering dictatorial powers—"

"The Senate _demanded _that he stay! They _pushed _those pow­ers on him—"

"Don't be naïve, Ani," Buffy added. "The Senate is so intimidated they give him anything he wants!"

"Then it's _their _fault, not his! They should have the guts to stand up to him!"

"That is what we're asking _you _to do, Anakin."

Anakin had no answer. Silence fell between the three like a ham­mer. Finally, he said, "He's my _friend, _Buffy."

"It would surprise me if he had any real friends," Buffy said darkly. What she didn't want to admit was that Anakin _seemed _to be the one friend Palpatine actually had. But she didn't want to exactly talk about it in front of Obi-Wan, who was still grey-faced and surly.

"You don't know how kind he has been to me," Anakin's voice was hushed. "You don't know how he's looked after me, how he's done everything he could to help me. He's _like family.''_

"I thought I was your family," Buffy said, somewhat sadly.

"You haven't been here," Anakin replied softly, turning to look at her. "You've been out making your own family." Buffy was silent at that - she couldn't very well dispute that, could she?

"Listen: we're not asking you to act against Palpatine. We're only asking you to... monitor his activities. You must be­lieve me." Obi-Wan stepped closer and put a hand on Anakin's arm. With a long, slowly indrawn breath, he seemed to reach some difficult decision. "Palpatine himself may be in danger," he said. "This may be the only way you can help him."

"What are you talking about?"

"I am not supposed to be telling you this. Please do not re­veal we have had this conversation. To _anyone, _do you under­stand?"

Anakin said, "I can keep a secret."

"All right." Obi-Wan took another deep breath. "Master Windu traced Darth Sidious to Five Hundred Republica before Grievous's attack—we think that the Sith Lord is someone within Palpatine's closest circle of advisers. _That _is who we want you to spy on, do you understand?"

"If Palpatine is under the influence of a Sith Lord, he may be in the gravest danger," Buffy continued, relieved that Anakin wasn't going to start ranting again."The only way we can help him is to find Sidious, and to stop him. What we are asking of you is _not _trea­son, Anakin—it may be the only way to save the Republic!"

"So all you're really asking," Anakin said slowly, "is for me to help the Council find Darth Sidious."

"Yes." Obi-Wan looked relieved, incredibly relieved, as though some horrible chronic pain had suddenly and inexplica­bly eased. "Yes, that's it exactly."

"You have to do this, Ani," Buffy added. "Help us find Sidious and end this war. And if Palpatine's innocent, I will personally get down on my knees, in his office, and kiss his ass. Okay?" That got a small grin.

"I look forward to sending a holorecording of that to Mother." Anakin replied. "Speaking of which- you need to giver her a call. She worries about you."

"I'll call her tonight, little brother."

"Who are you calling little?"

* * *

Later that day, a Republic gunship streaked through the capital's sky. Obi-Wan stared past Yoda and Mace Windu, out through the gunship's window at the vast deployment platform and the swarm of clones who were loading the assault cruiser at the far end.

"You weren't there," he said. "You didn't see his face. I think we have done a terrible thing."

"We don't always have the right answer," Mace Windu replied. "Sometimes there _isn't _aright answer."

"Know how important your friendship with young Anakin is to you, I do." Yoda, too, stared out toward the stark angles of the assault cruiser being loaded for the counterinvasion of Kashyyyk; he stood leaning on his gimer stick as though he did not trust his legs. "Allow such attachments to pass out of one's life, a Jedi must."

"Very dangerous putting them together," Mace said, glancing out of the door as they flew in and out of traffic. "I don't think the boy can handle it. I don't trust him."

"With all due respect, Master," Obi-Wan started, "Is Anakin not the Chosen One? Is it not said that he will bring balance to the Force?"

"A prophesy, misread might have been," Yoda countered softly. "The more we learn, the more we discover how much we do not know. In motion, are the events of our time. Approach, the crisis does."

"Yes." Mace interlaced his fingers and squeezed until his knuckles popped. "But we're in a spice mine without a glow rod. If we stop walking, we'll never reach the light."

"And what if the light just isn't there?" Obi-Wan asked. "What if we get to the end of this tunnel and find only night?"

"Faith must we have. Trust in the will of the Force. What other choice is there?"

"Anakin's problem had always been that his loyalties, first and foremost, lie with _people,_" Obi-Wan said carefully, "Abstractions like _peace _don't mean much to him. He's loyal to _people, _not to prin­ciples. And he expects loyalty in return. He will stop at nothing to save me, for example, because he thinks I would do the same for him." Mace and Yoda gazed at him steadily, and Obi-Wan had to lower his head. "Because," he admitted reluctantly, "he _knows _I would do the same for him."

"Understand exactly where your concern lies, I do not." Yoda's green eyes had gone softly sympathetic. "_Named _must your fear be, before banish it you can. Do you fear that perform his task, he cannot?"

"Oh, no. That's not it at all. I am firmly convinced that Anakin can do anything. Except betray a friend."

* * *

While Yoda was preparing to leave for Kashyyyk, Anakin was sitting with Padmé on the veranda of her apartment. While normally just being with his wife was soothing, today nothing could seem to calm his nerves.

"I heard about your appointment to the Council. Anakin," Padmé said, taking his hand in her own. "I'm so proud of you."

"There's nothing to be proud of," he said. "This is just po­litical maneuvering between the Council and the Chancellor I got caught in the middle, that's all."

"But to be on the Council, at your age—"

"They put me on the Council because they _had _to. Because he told them to, once the Senate gave him control of the Jedi." His voice lowered toward a growl. "And because they think they can use me against him."

Padmé's eyes went oddly remote, and thoughtful. _"Against _him," she echoed. "The Jedi don't trust him?"

"That doesn't mean much. They don't trust me, either." Anakin's mouth compressed to a thin bitter line. "They'll give me a chair in the Council Chamber, but that's as far as it will go. They won't accept me as a Master."

Her gaze returned from that thoughtful distance, and she smiled up at him. "You must be patient, my love. Soon they'll recog­nize your ability."

"They already recognize my abilities. They _fear _my abilities," he said bitterly. "But this isn't even about that. Like I said: it's a political game."

"Anakin—"

"I don't know what's happening to the Order, but whatever it is, I don't like it." He shook his head. "This war is destroying everything the Republic is supposed to stand for. I mean, what are we fighting for, anyway? What about all this is worth saving?"

Padmé nodded sadly, disengaging from Anakin's arms and drifting away. "Sometimes I wonder if we're on the wrong side."

"The wrong side?" He frowned at her. "You can't mean that."

She turned from him, speaking to the vast airway beyond the veranda's edge. "What if the democracy we're fighting for no longer_ exists? _What if the Republic itself has become the very evil we've been fighting to destroy?"

Anakin sighed, biting back his temper over the line of conversation. "Everybody complains about Palpatine having too much power, but nobody offers a better al­ternative. Who _should _be running the war? The _Senate? _You're in the Senate, you know those people—how many of them do _you _trust?"

"All I know is that things are going wrong here. Our gov­ernment is headed in exactly the wrong direction. You know it, too—you just _said _so!"

"I didn't mean that. I just—I'm tired of this, that's all. This political garbage. Sometimes I'd rather just be back out on the front lines. At least out there, I know who the bad guys are."

"I'm becoming afraid," she replied in a bitter undertone, "that I might know who the bad guys are _here, _too."

His eyes narrowed. "You're starting to sound like a Sepa­ratist."

"Anakin, the whole galaxy knows now that Count Dooku is dead. This is the time we should be pursing a _diplomatic _resolu­tion to the war—but instead the fighting is intensifying! Palpatine's your friend, he might listen to you. When you see him tonight, ask him, in the name of simple _decency, _to offer a cease­fire—"

His face went hard. "Don't ask this of me, Padmé. Don't ask me to do this." Anakin rose and headed to the balcony. "Make a motion on the Senate floor, where that kind of request belongs." Anakin spun back around and stalked over to her. "Don't _I_ get any say in this? Does _my _opinion matter? What if I don't agree with you? What if I think Palpatine's way is the _right _way?"

Padmé was stunned. "Anakin, hundreds of thousands of beings are dying every day!"

"It's a _war, _Padmé. We didn't _ask _for it, remember? You were _there_—maybe we should have 'pursued a diplomatic resolution' in that _beast _arena!"

"I was—" She shrank away from what she saw on his face blinking harder, brows drawn together. "I was only _asking..._"

"Everyone is _only asking. _Everyone _wants _something from me. And _I'm _the bad guy if they don't _get _it!" He spun away from her again, and found himself at the veranda's edge, leaning on the rail. The durasteel piping groaned in his me­chanical grip.

"I'm sick of this," he muttered. "I'm sick of all of it."

He didn't notice as Padmé rose and came up behind him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Anakin, what is it? What is it really?"

He shook his head. He couldn't look at her. "Nothing that's your fault," he said. "Nothing you can help."

"Don't shut me out, Anakin. Let me try."

"You can't help me." He stared down through dozens of crisscross lanes of traffic, down toward the invisible bedrock of the planet.

"I'm trying to help _you."_

He'd seen something in her eyes, when he'd mentioned the Council and Palpatine. His eyes narrowed at her.

"What aren't you telling me?" Her hand went still, and she did not answer. "I can feel it, Padmé. I sense you're keeping a secret."

"Oh?" she said softly. Lightly. "That's funny, I was thinking the same about _you."_

He just kept staring down over the rail into the invisible dis­tance below. She moved close to him, moved against him, her arm sliding around his shoulders, her cheek leaning lightly on his arm. "Why does it have to be like this? Why does there have to even be such a thing as war? Can't we just... go _back? _Even just to pretend. Let's pretend we're back at the lake on Naboo, just the two of us. When there was no war, no politics. No plotting. Just us. You and me, and love. That's all we need. You and me, and love."

Right now Anakin couldn't remember what that had been like.

"I have to go," he said. "The Chancellor is waiting."

* * *

Anakin hurriedly made his way the Coruscant Opera house to the box that held the Chancellor and his entourage. As he ran through the crowded opera house, he looked around at the throngs of high society that had made their way here to see the Mon Calamari Opera Group's new show. He marveled how they could act like this was just another day in Coruscant, rather than the day after the invasion that had nearly leveled huge portions of the city-planet.

Anakin slowed his pace as he approached the entrance to the box and quietly slipped inside. He supposed that, if he was supposed to spy, he should remain quiet for a time to listen in to the conversations around him, but the sour taste that idea left in his mouth led his to discard that idea and approach the Chancellor.

"Chancellor. Sorry I'm late."

Palpatine turned toward him, and his face lit up. "Yes, Anakin! Don't worry. Come in, my boy, come in. Thank you for your report on the Council meeting this afternoon—it made most interesting reading. And now I have good news for you— Clone Intelligence has located General Grievous!"

"That's tremendous!" Anakin shook his head, wondering if Obi-Wan would be embarrassed to have been scooped by the clones. "He won't escape us again."

"I'm going to—Moore, take a note—I will direct the Coun­cil to give _you _this assignment, Anakin. Your gifts are wasted on Coruscant—you should be out in the field. You can attend Council meetings by holoconference."

Anakin frowned. "Thank you, sir, but the Council coordi­nates Jedi assignments."

"Of course, of course. Mustn't step on any Jedi toes, must we? They are so jealous of their political prerogatives. Still, I shall wonder at their collective wisdom if they choose someone else."

"As I said in my report, they've already assigned Obi-Wan to find Grievous." _Because they want to keep me here, where I am sup­posed to spy on you._

"To find him, yes. But you are the best man to _apprehend _him—though of course the Jedi Council cannot always be trusted to do the right thing."

"They try. I—believe they try, sir."

"Do you still? Sit down." Palpatine looked at the other two beings in the box. "Leave us." They rose and withdrew. Anakin took Mas Amedda's seat. Palpatine gazed distractedly down at the graceful undula­tions of the Mon Calamari principal soloist for a long moment, frowning as though there was so much he wanted to say; he was unsure where to begin. Finally he sighed heavily and leaned close to Anakin.

"Anakin I think you know by now that I cannot rely upon the Jedi Council. That is why I put you on it. If they have not yet tried to use you in their plot, they soon will."

Anakin kept his face carefully blank. "I'm not sure I understand."

"You must sense what I have come to suspect," Palpatine said grimly. "The Jedi Council is after more than independence from Senate oversight; I believe they intend to control the Re­public itself."

"Chancellor—"

"I believe they are planning treason. They hope to overthrow my government, and replace me with someone weak enough that Jedi mind tricks can control his every word."

"I can't believe the Council—"

"Anakin, search your feelings. You do know, don't you?"

Anakin looked away. "I know they don't trust you..."

"Or the Senate. Or the Republic. Or democracy itself, for that matter. The Jedi Council is not _elected. _It selects its own members according to its own rules—a less generous man than I might say _whim_—and gives them authority backed by power. They rule the Jedi as they hope to rule the Republic: by fiat."

"I admit..." Anakin looked down at his hands, "…my faith in them has been... shaken."

"How? They've approached you, haven't they? They asked you to do something dishonest?" Palpatine's frown cleared into a gently wise smile that was oddly reminiscent of Yoda's. "They want you to spy on me, don't they?"

"I—don't know what to say..."

"It's all right, Anakin. I have nothing to hide." Palpatine responded with a fatherly smile. He paused for a moment, and then continued. "Do you remember," he said, drawing away from Anakin so that he could lean back comfortably in his seat, "how as a young boy, when you first came to this planet, I tried to teach you the ins and outs of politics?"

Anakin smiled faintly. "I remember that I didn't much care for the lessons."

"For _any _lessons, as I recall. But it's a pity; you should have paid more attention. To understand politics is to understand the fundamental nature of thinking beings. Right now, you should remember one of my first teachings: all those who gain power are afraid to lose it."

"The Jedi use their power _for good," _Anakin said, a little too firmly.

"Good is a point of view, Anakin. And the Jedi concept of _good _is not the only valid one. _Good _and _Evil _are labels we all put on those who threaten us, isn't it? The Sith and the Jedi are similar in almost every way, including their quest for greater power."

"The Jedi's quest is for greater _understanding," _Anakin countered. "For greater knowledge of the Force—"

"Which brings with it greater power, does it not?"

"Well... yes." Anakin had to laugh. "I should know better than to argue with a politician."

"We're not arguing, Anakin. We're just talking." Palpatine shifted his weight, settling in comfortably. "Perhaps the real dif­ference between the Jedi and the Sith lies only in their orienta­tion; a Jedigains power through understanding, and a Sith gains understanding through power. This is the true reason the Sith have always been more powerful than the Jedi. The Jedi fear the dark side so much they cut themselves off from the most impor­tant aspect of life: passion. Of any kind. They don't even allow themselves to love."

_Except for me, _Anakin thought. _But then, I've never been ex­actly the perfect Jedi._

"The Sith do not fear the dark side. The Sith _have _no fear. They embrace the whole spectrum of experience, from the heights of transcendent joy to the depths of hatred and despair. Beings have these emotions for a reason, Anakin. That is why the Sith are more powerful: they are not afraid to _feel."_

"The Sith rely on passion for strength," Anakin said, "but when that passion runs dry, what's left?"

"Perhaps nothing. Perhaps a great deal. Perhaps it never runs dry at all. Who can say?"

"They think inward, only about themselves."

"And the Jedi don't?"

"The Jedi are selfless—we _erase _the self, to join with the flow of the Force. We care only about _others..._"

Palpatine again gave him that smile of gentle wisdom. "Or so you've been trained to believe. I hear the voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi in your answers, Anakin. What do you _really _think?"

Anakin suddenly found the ballet a great deal more interest­ing than Palpatine's face. "I... don't know anymore."

"It is said that if one could ever entirely comprehend a single grain of sand—really, truly understand _everything _about it—one would, at the same time, entirely comprehend the universe. Who's to say that a Sith, by looking inward, sees less than a Jedi does by looking out?"

"The Jedi—Jedi are _good. _That's the difference. I don't _who _sees _what."_

"What the Jedi are," Palpatine said gently, "is a group of very powerful beings you consider to be your comrades. And you are loyal to your friends; I have known that for as long as I have known you, and I admire you for it. But are your friends loyal to _you?"_

Anakin shot him a sudden frown. "What do you mean?"

"Would a true friend ask you to do something that's wrong?"

"I'm not sure it's wrong," Anakin said. Obi-Wan might have been telling the truth. It was possible. They might only want to catch Sidious. They might really be trying to protect Palpa­tine.

They might.

Maybe.

"Have they asked you to break the Jedi Code? To violate the Constitution? To betray a friendship? To betray your own _values?"_

"Chancellor—"

_"Think, _Anakin! I have always tried to teach you to think— yes, yes, Jedi do not think, they _know, _but those stale answers aren't good enough now, in these changing times. Consider their motives. Keep your mind clear of assumptions. The fear of losing power is a weakness of both the Jedi and the Sith."

Anakin sank lower in his seat. Too much had happened in too short a time. Everything jumbled together in his head, and none of it seemed to make complete sense.

Except for what Palpatine said.

That made too _much _sense.

"Anakin—are you familiar with _The Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise?"_

Anakin shook his head.

"Ah, I thought not. It is nota story the Jedi would tell you. It's a Sith legend, of a Dark Lord who had turned his sight inward so deeply that he had come to comprehend, and mas­ter life itself. And—because the two are one, when seen clearly enough—death itself."

Anakin sat up. Was he actually hearing this? "He could keep someone safe from death?"

"According to the legend," Palpatine said, "he could directly influence the midi-chlorians to create life; with such knowledge, to maintain life in someone already living would seem a small matter, don't you agree?"

A universe of possibility blossomed inside Anakin's head. He murmured, "Stronger than _death..._"

"The dark side is a pathway to many abilities some would consider unnatural."

Anakin couldn't seem to get his breath. "What happened to him?"

"Oh, well, it _is _a tragedy, after all, you know. Once he has gained this ultimate power, he has nothing to fear save losing it. To safeguard his power's existence, he teached the path toward it to his apprentice."

"And?"

"And then his apprentice killed him in his sleep," Palpatine said with a careless shrug. "It's ironic: he can save anyone in the galaxy from death—except himself."

Anakin turned to face his mentor. " Would it be possible to learn this power?"

Palpatine regarding him with that smile of gentle wisdom.

"Not from a Jedi."

**TBC…

* * *

**

**A/N: **Well, this is probably the longest, and the most unsatisfying, chapter I've posted yet. Unsatisfying because I needed these scenes in the story, but I didn't have to change them that much to fit in Buffy. And so- cut and paste.

I really hate doing that.

The good news is that we are getting down to the end now. Soon, Buffy and Obi-Wan head to Utapau, and Anakin learns the truth about Palpatine. And when that happens- things are gonna change. No more cutting and pasting. Oh, and look forward to seeing an old friend make an appearance.

Thanks to everyone for their reviews. I'm sorry I haven't been able to respond to everyone, but work limits the time I have to write each chapter, let alone respond to everyone. So what I'll be doing from now on is responding to the big questions on my Yahoo group, and reply to individuals when and if I have the time.

* * *

Next chapter will be mostly original, too- because Buffy finds out she has a sister-in-law…But not before she has a little heart-to-heart with mom, where she'll tell Shmi about her time on Corellia- and about her time with Jacen Solo... 


	6. Chapter 5: The Life and Times of Buffy

**Episode 3 Chapter 5**

**The Life and Times of Buffy Anne Summers-Skywalker

* * *

**

Buffy tiredly made her way to her quarters. It had been a long day and Buffy was worried about what Palpatine wanted with her brother now. Add on to that the way he had been acting recently… well, it made for a worried Buffy.

Settling down on the couch in her small apartment at the temple, she glanced around at the sparse decorations. She used to hate the lack of personalization that personified the life of the Jedi, but after Jacen…Buffy sighed. It still hurt to think about them - to think about _him _- but she was beginning to think that she would never really start to get over his death until she talked to someone about it. She looked over to the corner of the room where she had a small holotransmitter installed and sighed again.

Maybe she could kill two birds with one stone.

* * *

Shmi Skywalker bustled around the kitchen on Tatooine, preparing some fresh java juice for her husband when her holo-net transceiver beeped. She quickly moved over to the desk where her son had had the receiver installed a few years ago and switched it on. A smile immediately played over her lips as she saw who was on the other end.

"Buffy!"

On the screen, her adopted daughter smiled back. "Hey, Mom. How are you?"

"How am I? How are you!" Shmi exclaimed. "I've wanted to speak with you since you were found…"

"I know, Anakin told me," Buffy replied with a sigh. "I'm sorry it's taken so long, but I've been swamped up here. They put me on the Council - how screwed up is that?"

"Anakin told me that," Shmi replied, a small smile on her lips "Congratulations."

"Thank you," Buffy replied. Before she could stall anymore, Shmi spoke.

"Buffy, I know why you've called," she said simply. The Slayer sighed and folded her shaking hands.

"Don't know how you could figure it out," Buffy muttered, her voice strained. But Shmi was smiling that knowing smile that Buffy had really missed after all of these years.

"Call it mother's intuition," Shmi replied fondly, settling back against a table and waiting for her adopted daughter to continue. She knew better than to press her… if Buffy wanted to come to her, she was going to have to do it on her own.

"I don't know where to begin"

"Why not at the beginning?"

Buffy chuckled. "Yeah, I guess that would be a good place to start." Taking a deep breath, Buffy prepared herself to plunge into her past.

* * *

_It was a pretty straight-forward mission. Go to Corellia, scout around, and report on any enemy activity. Corellia is an interesting planet – strategic-wise. They produce some of the fastest and strongest ships in the Galaxy, but at the same time most of the people who design or build the ships are already off-planet at other shipyards closer to the core. So while it would be preferred to have the planet free, it wasn't 'strategically necessary', as they said in the Senate._

_Freakin_' _politicians._

_Anyway, the Council decided I would be the best person for the job, since I was practically born to sneak around undetected. I wasn't as good of a flyer as Ani, but the intel we got only suggested a small Separatist contingent on the planet and no aerial support._

_Freakin_' _intel…

* * *

_

"_Liou coe shway duh biao-tze huh hoe-tze duh bun ur-tze!"_ Buffy cried as her starfighter was pounded by another Separatist defense platform. "No defenses, my ass! R-6, broadcast this on all emergency frequencies!" Buffy cried as she desperately tried to dodge the energy beams lancing out at her ship from the half dozen defense platforms in orbit around the besieged planet. "To all Republic forces, this is Jedi Skywalker! Intel wrong! Corellia heavily fortified - defense platforms and capital ships! I repeat, this is­-" Before she could finish, a bolt hit her ship, blasting apart R-6 and knocking out her communications. "Oh, crap!" she cried then, making a split-second decision, she pushed the stick down and sent her ship plummeting towards the planet.

In an instant, she was slicing through the atmosphere while still dodging energy beams. Just before she broke through to the inner atmosphere, a lucky shot struck the back of her ship, destroying one of the two Ion engines. The starfighter started to spin down, hopelessly out of control.

Well, hopeless for a normal person, not for a Slayer. Or a Jedi. And Buffy happened to be both. With considerable effort, she managed to bring her starfighter out of its spin and into a straight, if steep, decent course. With her instruments knocked out, she frantically looked out through her canopy for a clear area to land, and saw an open field about 5 miles south of a newly walled city.

_Must be turning the bigger cities into detention camps._ Buffy thought. _Damn, they've been here longer than we thought._

A few moments later her ship was crashing through the thick trees that surrounded the clearing, shearing off the wings of her ship and rocking it so hard that Buffy felt like a bobble-head, her head was being forced around so much. As she exited the trees, the nose of her ship immediately plummeted and her destroyed ship crashed into the soft earth. It skidded a few yards before finally grinding to a halt.

"Flying is for droids," Buffy groaned as she undid her flight harness, then reached back behind her head and grasped the two emergency canopy release levers. She pulled and then winced as the explosive bolts blasted the cracked canopy clear of the ship. Gingerly she climbed out of the wreckage, looking over herself for any injuries. Finding nothing serious, she glanced mournfully at her ship.

"Well, I'm not going anywhere in that again," she mumbled to herself. "Looks like I'm stuck here." She quickly threw her robe back into the wreckage, leaving her clad in her dark pants, shirt and vest. She hooked her lightsaber to her belt and then reached into her ship one last time and activated the self destruct.

* * *

_I knew I wasn't leaving in my ship, so I decided to destroy it. That way, when the droids came to investigate, they'd find a completely destroyed ship and think the pilot had been vaporized. At least, that's what I hoped._

_I decided to make my way back to the city I had seen. On the way there, I found out I hadn't actually landed in a forest - it was actually a park that had been in a rural area of the city. When the Separatists came, they turned the major cities into interment camps, and had decimated the rural towns. I saw a lot of dead - the Corellians didn't go down without a fight._

_I found what looked to be the main road that headed into the city and started walking down it. Of course, that proved to be a monumentally stupid idea, since I hadn't been walking for five minutes when I stepped on something…

* * *

_

_Click_

Buffy looked down and then groaned.

_Landmine._ _I had to step on a landmine. _Out loud, she merely muttered. "Snafu."

"Bless you."

Buffy head whipped up to spot a figure leaning casually against the remains of a light pole. He was tall and well built, with sandy brown hair and blue eyes that would melt a girl's heart. His rugged good looks were offset though, in Buffy's mind, by the smart-ass smirk that played across his otherwise handsome features.

"Well, well, well. What have we here?" he asked in a mocking voice. "Looks like I caught a Separatist spy. Though I don't think I've ever caught one as good looking before."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Are you blind?" she asked, gesturing to her outfit - obvious Jedi garb. "Do I look like a Separatist?"

"Dooku's a Jedi," the man retorted, the look on his face tensing.

"Dooku _was_ a Jedi."

"Whatever. Point is funny clothes and a lightsaber on your belt don't mean squat around here."

Buffy groaned in annoyance. "Look, I was on a reconnaissance mission for the Republic when my ship was shot down. I was heading into the town to look for any resistance movement so I could find out what the hell's going on here."

"Well, I got good news and bad news for you, sweetheart. Good news - you found the resistance. Bad news - I'm not inclined to believe your bullsh-"

In an instant, Buffy leapt to the side, using the Force to fling the landmine in the opposite direction. She tucked and rolled as it exploded, coming up on one knee with her lightsaber drawn. The man had drawn his own blaster and fired. Buffy easily deflected the shot back at the man; the deflected bolt blew apart the blaster. With a quick shout of pain, he drew a holdout blaster in his left hand and fired once more. Buffy again deflected the bolt, this time into the man's leg. Then she leapt up, closing the distance between them within moments and used her saber to slice clean through the blaster's barrel. She quickly brought the blade back around, holding it just under his chin.

"Well, I got good news and bad news for you, _sweetheart,_" she snarled. "Bad news is you're going to limp for a while. Good news is I'm not going to kill you. Now I told you - I'm not the bad guy. And since I appear to be stuck here for now, I'm going to do you and your resistance a favor and help out. So get up and limp your ass back to the city."

The man sighed in defeat and then held out a hand for help up. Buffy deactivated her saber and cautiously helped him up. "Fine, I'll take you into the city. But you pull any funny stuff and my boys will take you out, got it."

"I'm quaking with fear," Buffy replied dryly.

"Right," he replied. Then after a moments hesitation asked, "You got a name?"

"Buffy Summers-Skywalker, Jedi Knight," Buffy replied after a moment. "What's yours?"

"Solo," he replied solemnly. "Jacen Solo."

* * *

They walked in silence for about a mile when suddenly Jacen stopped and pointed to a dilapidated house. It was a wreck - holes in the ceiling, scorch marks on the permacrete walls and windows blown out from explosions.

"In here," Jacen said as he led the Jedi woman into the ruined home. They reached the middle of the home and Jacen bent down and threw off a small rug that was concealing a trap door. He opened it and gave her a wicked grin.

"Down we go," he said as he jumped down the hole. Buffy smirked when a moment later she heard him yelp in pain.

"Down we go," she muttered to herself as she jumped down the hole. She landed in a small stream of water, not even a foot thick. She glanced around and groaned. "Of course, I end up in a sewer." She inhaled, and then gagged at the stench. She turned to Jacen and glared. "What a beautiful smell you've discovered."

Jacen shrugged. "Old sewer system. Not used for much now except to catch storm overflow. Of course, a lot more than water's been pouring down the drains recently." He pulled at a chain that dangled from the opening, causing the trap door to slam shut. "Camps about twenty clicks due south. Let's get a move on."

The tow walked (or in Jacen's case, limped) in silence for a while. Finally, Jacen looked over to the Jedi.

"What kind of name is Summers-Skywalker?" he asked. "I thought Jedi couldn't get married."

"I'm not married. I was adopted. Skywalker is my adopted name. Summers was my real name," she replied.

"Thought Jedi couldn't have families."

Buffy chuckled. "I wasn't exactly the normal Jedi. Neither was my brother for that matter."

They neared the end of the tunnel and Buffy saw a door guarded by a large, burly, dark fellow whose attire was vastly different from his dirty surroundings.

"That you, Solo?" the man called out in a deep, booming voice.

"Yeah, it's me," Jacen replied, coming to a halt in front of the guard. "Everything okay, Darcen?"

"Yeah, everything's calm. No sign of the Seps, unless you brought one with ya?" he added, looking over Buffy for a moment before his eye's widened. "Hey, you're a Jedi!"

"Was it the outfit that gave it away?" Buffy asked dryly. Darcen chuckled, and then looked over Jacen again. "What happened to your hand, Solo?"

Jacen fought hard to fight down his embarrassment over being taken down so easily by such a small girl. "Uh…my blaster overloaded."

Buffy looked over at Jacen with a deadpan expression.

"And your leg?"

"Tripped."

Buffy's eyebrow rose. And form the look on Darcen's face, he didn't buy it either.

"Right, Jacen. You didn't get your ass handed to you by the Jedi."

Jacen looked indignant. "Hey! I did _not_ get my ass kicked by the vanilla midget over there!"

"It's true," Buffy replied. "What I did to him was over so fast it didn't count as an ass kicking."

Darcen chuckled. "Tomasen is looking for you, Jacen. He'll probably want to say hello to you as well, Jedi." He turned and opened the door. "Welcome home."

* * *

"You look like bantha poodoo, Solo," Thomasen said as the two made their way into the Rebel commander's office. His gaze shifted over to Buffy. "Who the hell are you?"

Buffy bristled slightly at his tone, but otherwise stayed calm. "Buffy Summers-Skywalker, Jedi Knight. And who the hell are you?"

The Rebel commander smiled. "Colonel Therance Thomasen, formerly of the Corellian Armed Forces. I'm helping to run this little rebellion here, along with a few others. And what about you, Jedi Skywalker? Why are you here?"

"I was on a reconnaissance mission, trying to find out if the Separatists had taken the planet or not. I guess our intelligence was a little inaccurate coz when I got here, I found the planet taken and surrounded by ODP's."

"And I'm guessing the Orbital Defense Platforms shot you down?" the Colonel asked. Buffy just nodded. "Well, you're going to be stuck here for a while. Coms are jammed, traffic off planet is non-existent. They got the civvies working in plants cranking out Vulture Droids, while the rest suffer in the internment camps. They put the camps in the large cities so we would have no place to grow food, which is becoming scarcer everyday. Right now we got a working resistance movement, three thousand strong and growing."

"Well, seeing as I'm not going anywhere Colonel, I'd like to offer my help to your cause."

"We appreciate all the help we can get, especially from a Jedi," Thomasen replied, his eyes gazing over her calculatingly. "Never seen one of you in action before. You sure your game?"

"I didn't create this situation. I'm just dealing with it," Buffy replied. "In the meantime, you got a place for me to stay?"

"Sure. You can stay with Solo."

"What?"

Thomasen glanced at Jacen, his lips tightening. But the meaning in his eyes was clear. "He won't bite."

"Are you crazy? You want me to stay with _him?_"

Jacen's eyes swept over to her, frowning slightly. "There's nothing wrong with me!"

"Try saying that before you shoot me next time," she muttered furiously.

"Let me put this another way," Thomasen said in a tired voice, crossing his arms and gazing thoughtfully at the Jedi. "You _can _stay with Jacen. Or you _can _go up to the Separatists and take your chances with them."

It was so not a good choice from where she was standing. "I can," she sighed, admitting her defeat by throwing her hands in the air.

"She can?" they both asked at the same time.

* * *

_Jacen was fortunate enough, if you could call it fortune, to be living in the city when it was walled in. As a result, he still had his apartment, which was rather spacious and had a few extra rooms for impromptu guests, like me. It was also home to his son, a little boy named Han…

* * *

_

"Who are you?"

Buffy hadn't even stepped through the door when the question hit her. She looked down and saw a small, lanky boy with messy brown hair and dazzling blue eyes looking up at her suspiciously. Buffy quirked an eyebrow.

"I'm Santa Claus," she replied dryly. "Are you one of the elves?" When the boy's brow furled in confusion, Buffy sighed. "Nobody gets me."

"This is my son, Han. Han, this is the Van-"

"Say it and I take out your other leg," Buffy growled.

"Buffy Summers-Skywalker, Jedi Knight," Jacen adjusted smoothly. "She'll be staying here for a while. So why don't you go set the table for one more - I'm sure we're all starving."

"Alright, Dad," Han said, casting one more curious glance at the Jedi before heading into the dining room. Buffy looked at the bemused smile on Jacen's face.

"Cute kid," she said. Jacen nodded.

"He's just feeling you out," he replied. After a moment, he added, "I think he likes you."

"What happened to his mom?" she asked gently, already sensing the answer. Her suspicions were confirmed when she saw sadness pass over his face.

"She died about a year after he was born," he replied softly, "lingering complications from childbirth. Jaina was never a very healthy woman and giving birth took its toll on her."

"I'm sorry," Buffy replied sincerely. "My mom died not very long before I came here. I'm sorry for your loss."

Jacen smiled sadly. "And I'm sorry for yours."

* * *

_Dinner that night was unusually…warm, I guess. I hadn't felt like that since the dinners you, Ani, and I used to have, or the family dinners I used to have with Dawn and Mom. Han reminded me a lot of Dawn - very inquisitive, verging on annoying.

* * *

_

"So, where are you from?"

Buffy looked up from her meal (Jacen, it turns out, was a pretty good cook) and looked to the young boy sitting across from her.

"From a long ways away. But more recently, I've been living on Coruscant."

"And you're a Jedi?"

"That's right."

Han looked over the blonde Jedi for a moment. "Is your name really Buffy?"

Buffy couldn't help but chuckle. "Well, _technically_ it's Elizabeth," she replied. "But everybody calls me Buffy."

"I heard Jedi are supposed to be, like, super-soldiers. Is that true?" he asked. Buffy chuckled.

"We prefer to consider ourselves more as peacekeepers than soldiers," she chided gently. Jacen scoffed and shook his head.

"Please," he said with an air of dismissal in his voice. "Hokey religions and ancient weapons aren't a match for a good blaster by your side. You just remember that, Han, and you'll be fine."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Yeah, cause that blaster worked so well for you."

"It malfunctioned," Jacen said through gritted teeth.

"Yeah," Buffy replied, then passed a sly look over the man as he finished off his drink. "So, does your 'weapon' malfunction often, then?"

Jacen choked on his wine, nearly spraying the table. "Never happened before. Not going to happen again," he replied, doing his best to hide his embarrassment from his son. Buffy smirked and took a sip of her wine. Han, meanwhile, just looked back and forth between the two adults.

"Are you two talking about sex?" he asked, causing Buffy to spray her wine over her plate. Jacen looked at his son, thunderstruck.

"What, exactly, are they teaching you in that school of yours?"

* * *

_The first few months on Corellia were particularly hard for me. Mostly, it was due to Jacen. I hadn't met anyone like him since Angel - handsome, in an annoying type of way. He found a way to get on my nerves at every and any given opportunity, but at the same time he proved himself to be an effective tactician and able leader._

_My other problem was keeping up with my meditations and training. The Corellians weren't particularly fond of the Jedi - they felt that the Jedi thought that they were beneath them, not worthy of their attention. As Jacen told me one night after a mission - given the fact that the Jedi considered themselves peacekeepers they had been conspicuously absent from Corellia during their many recent conflicts. _

_Couldn't say I blamed them, as they had a point._

_Still, I slowly earned their respect. During my first year there, I went on several raiding missions with Jacen and his team. Droid factories, shipyards, intelligence centers- anyplace we could hit to put a dent in the separatist war machine, we hit. I found myself grateful for all of the training Giles had instilled on me back in my Slayer days - all that stealthy stuff really came in handy. And slowly the rest of the resistance fighters came to respect, if not accept, my Jedi abilities. Soren, one of Jacen's running buddies, was a bit of a mechanical wiz, and even managed to build me a remote training droid to keep up my lightsaber skills. Han got a kick out of watching me practice…_

_After a year there, though, I found myself conflicted. When I was on missions, I couldn't really act like a Jedi - to advertise a Jedi's presence there would bring the wrath of the Separatists fully down upon the innocents. I found myself reverting more and more to my 'Slayer side', as I called it. While I tried to follow the Jedi teachings that had been drilled into me by Master Windu over the past ten years when I was off mission, on mission I let it all go. _

_As a Slayer, I always found strength in my emotions, in my attachments. I wouldn't have survived as long as I did without my friends, my family, and the people I loved. Now I've never told anybody this, Mom, not Master Windu, not even Anakin. Ever since I began to feel the Force, I've felt the call of the Dark Side. I've felt the temptation to use that power. But I never touched it - I've seen what can happen when a Slayer goes dark; I had no desire to repeat that. And I think it was my unique insight into that Darkness that allowed me to totally resist its call. But that's why most Jedi aren't allowed to form attachments; to know love. That's the reason we haven't been to visit since we rescued you- those kind of attachments could, eventually, lead to the Dark Side. Master Windu wasn't entirely pleased about our reconnecting with you, though he understood why we did. But when I was out on a mission, I allowed myself to tap into that emotion once more, to become the Slayer._

_Of course tapping into those emotions ended up opening a whole new can of worms…

* * *

_

"Hey, Buffy - come here!"

"We're on a mission, Soren."

"Come on, you got to see this!"

Buffy sighed, resigned to dealing with the hyperactive genius. Jacen's team - which consisted of Jacen, herself, Soren and Darcen had infiltrated one of the public storage hangars that had serviced private freighters during peacetime in hopes of hacking into the Separatist's intelligence files, which could only be accessed through certain secured terminals throughout the occupied territories. Right now they were in. The hanger had been shut down by the Corellian Engineering Corporation shortly before the war and turned into a permanent storage facility to house inactive ships and prototypes. But it was still hooked up to their network and therefore an extremely valuable resource for the Rebels.

Buffy silently made her way over to where the younger man had hidden himself behind some storage crates. "What?"

Soren smiled and nodded his head towards the far end of the hanger, where a starship sat on its own. It was a sleek design - a saucer, the front drawn out into two prongs; its rear taken up by engines. The cockpit was offset to the right side, instead of the standard place up front. Buffy whistled quietly.

"Nice. What is it?"

"Your competition," Soren replied. Buffy sputtered.

"W-what are you talking about?" she demanded. "Competition for what?"

"That right there is Jacen's other baby," Soren said simply. "The Millennium Falcon. YT-1300 freighter. Jacen's been working on her for the past year. Claims she's the fastest ship in the quadrant."

"I got her up to point two past lightspeed," Jacen whispered as he came up behind them, Darcen in tow. "Come on Liza - we got what we need; let's get out of here."

The four quickly made their way back out into the deserted streets and past the two droid guards that never detected their presence. Jacen handed the holodisk over to Soren for analysis and then he and Buffy parted ways, heading for home.

They walked in silence for a time, doing their best to act like a young couple in love to avoid arousing the suspicions of the occasional guards that roamed the streets.

"So, how long were you working on the Falcon?" she asked as they walked back to his apartment.

"Two years," he replied. "It's kind of a surprise for Han, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't say anything. I was planning on taking him with me on my next run - kind of like a bonding deal, you see."

Buffy smiled. "That sounds nice." Jacen chuckled ruefully.

"I wasn't always the best dad," he explained. "I took the death of his mother hard and at times Han suffered for it. It was going to be my way of showing him how much I care about him."

There was another pause before Buffy finally got up the courage to ask. "Why did Soren call it my 'competition'?"

"Yeah - well, some of the guys are under the impression that we're…" he trailed off, but Buffy saw where he was going. She felt her body tense for the same arguments she had been fighting since she'd first met Angel, but found that the resistance had been aided by something that sounded a lot like Obi-Wan's voice in the back of her head.

"That's ridiculous," Buffy said defiantly, but something inside of her belied these words. "I'm a Jedi, for cryin' out loud. Those kinds of attachments are forbidden." She glanced away, unable to look at him. "Aren't they?"

Jacen sighed. "You're not exactly the typical Jedi, though… are you?" he asked. At her stricken look, he pressed on. "Look, Liza. I've seen the way you look at me sometimes. And if it makes it easier for you, I've been looking at you that way too…"

"Jacen-"

"Han already loves you…"

"Jacen, stop…please…" She was begging now. The dull ache deep within itself was burning brighter than any Corellian star. It almost hurt to breathe…

"Damn it Liza! I haven't felt like this about anyone since Jaina died!" he continued quietly. He stopped suddenly and reached for her. He felt her tremble as she glanced up at him. She forced herself to look away, but his hand reached out to touch her chin, tipping her gaze back to his. She had never seen his eyes so intense… "I think I'm falling in love with you."

"I can't do this, Jacen," she whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks, dripping from her chin. His thumbs gently pushed the tears from her face, his gaze strong and steady. "Don't ask me to do this."

"Because you're a Jedi."

"Because I'm a Jedi, yes," Buffy said, swallowing hard and glancing away. She pushed his hand from her and crossed her arms, struggling to control her emotions. What was wrong with her?

"And because every person you've ever loved has left you," Jacen finished. Buffy lowered her head, and Jacen ran his hand through his hair. "Look Liza…Buffy…I know you haven't had an easy life. And I'm not making it any easier on you with this. But I love you, Jedi or not. This past year with you… I've never felt more alive. And I'm not willing to drop this, because of a code you happen to follow on occasion. Or because of fear, Liza."

Buffy glanced at him, the ache now pounding in her ears. She longed to reach out and accept his open arms but at the same time, both her Code and her past pains came back to her. As he reached out and gently touched her face, she stared at him with haunted eyes.

"You are the bravest person I've ever met and that's saying something. You've faced horrors that I can't even begin to imagine. All I'm asking is for you to give us a chance. Please."

Buffy looked at Jacen, unable to speak or even think. "I-" she started, backing away from him. "I… got to go… I've got to go think…" With that, she turned and bolted away, leaving Jacen sad and alone.

"Take all the time you need, Liza," he whispered. "I ain't going nowhere."

* * *

_Jacen's admission had shaken me up. A lot. Because, no matter how hard I tried to deny it, I was in love with him, too. And there had been times, while I had been meditating, when I'd see flashes of us, together. Of a child, with my blond hair and his blue eyes… but I thought those were just day dreams. School-girl fantasies that had no place in the mind of a Jedi._

_But as I was walking, I began to ask myself if I was a true Jedi anymore. I mean, I still believed in the teachings and I still believed in using the Force for the good of all people. But I wasn't at the temple anymore. I wasn't in contact with the rest of the Jedi - for all I knew, they thought I was dead. And for all I knew, I would be stuck on this planet for the rest of my life. Then I started asking myself a question I hadn't though of in years - when have I served mankind enough for me to settle down and have my own life? When have I given enough? I was a Slayer, a Jedi, a big sister…when would I get the chance to be a wife? A mother…_

_Master Yoda had always gone on about 'The Will of the Force'. About how the Force controlled our destinies. I thought back to my dreams of Jacen and me, of the baby and wondered if maybe the Force was trying to tell me that I wasn't needed anymore. That my time had come and I could enjoy my reward for all of the sacrifices I had made. I spent hours sitting in the small park near Jacen's apartment thinking about it. After a surprisingly short while, I made my decision.

* * *

_

Buffy walked into the Solo apartment and quietly closed the door. She turned to see Jacen sitting in his favorite chair facing the door.

"Hey," he said, rising from the chair. With three quick strides, Buffy crossed the room and grabbed his shirt, pulling him into her and pressing her lips into his in a searing kiss. After a few moments, she pulled away. "Liza?" he asked, astounded blue eyes meeting hazel.

"I'm tired, Jacen," she said with a small smile. "All my life, I've put the wants and needs of everybody else in front of mine. And I'm tired. I don't want to be a Slayer anymore. I don't want to be a Jedi."

"Then what do you want?" he asked. Buffy smiled.

"I want a family. I want a husband, I want children," she looked into his eyes. "I want you." Damn it all to heck if she was going to start crying again.

Jacen smiled, but it quickly slipped away. "What about the Council? What will they say?"

"I've recorded a message to the Council. Told them I was resigning. As soon as the communications blackout falls, I'll send it. But for all intents and purposes, I'm no longer a Jedi." She took a deep breath, the freedom of it all coming onto her shoulders. "I chose me… and you and Han."

Jacen's smile returned in full force. "So, what do you want to do now?" he asked softly, reaching out to touch her.

She closed the distance between him, her hands bringing his face to hers. Her lips were teasing as they brushed to his. His arms moved down her back as her body arched into his. It felt so incredible to be here, in this moment, at this time… it was the most beautiful moment she had seen in a long time and there was no way in hell she was going to let it go. Pulling away to catch her breath, she felt him raining kisses down her throat. Her hands slowly moved to slip beneath his shirt as she pulled him closer.

Her hands moved over his skin, taking in every last inch. The ache deep within her broke and she moved to kiss him again. His hands caressed her bare skin and she moaned into the embrace.

It had been a long time since she'd felt beautiful and loved and wanted… after many years of feeling like a tool, an object and a peace officer, she finally was able to feel again.

* * *

_We made love for the first time that night. The next morning, Jacen proposed to me. He said he wanted to wait to actually get married until the war was over so all of our friends and families could come to the wedding. I had no problem with that - I wanted you and Ani there with me. Even though he is a Jedi, he's still my brother. We also talked things over with Han, to make sure he was okay with us getting married. Far from upset, he was happier than I had ever seen him. Of course, part of that was due to him winning the betting pool on when his father and I would finally get together._

_That was a little annoying._

_Turns out that making love wasn't the only thing we made that night, because six weeks later I learned that I was pregnant. To be honest, learning that I was pregnant scared me. Even though I considered Han my son, I really wanted a child of my own. But at the same time, I was scared that I wouldn't make a good mother. I was also scared that I wouldn't be able to help out Jacen's crew while I was pregnant. Well, while I wasn't allowed to participate in missions anymore, I was given the job of planning several raids over the course of my pregnancy. Turns out I can be a pretty good tactician when I put my mind to it._

_And then my little girl was born…

* * *

_

Jacen leaned against the wall outside the door to Buffy room in the DC medical center, his arm encased in a shiny new cast lined with Bacta strips. Han, flanked by Soren and Darcen, ran down the hall to him.

"Is it here?" Han gasped as he came to a stop. "Is Mom okay?"

"What happened to your hand?" Darcen asked. Jacen winced as he gazed down at his hand… he had yet to _feel _his hand…

"I held Liza's hand during labor. And I still can't feel a whole lot yet." Soren and Darcen winced knowingly and Jacen looked down at his son. "Liza's fine, Han. She's waiting for us. Come on," he added nodding his head at the door "Lets go see them."

The four men entered the room and saw Buffy laying down on the bed, her hair and forehead still damp with sweat, cradling a tiny bundle in her arms. She smiled at her fiancé and her friends, and then looked down to Han.

"Hey, kid. You want to say hi to your sister?" At Han's eager nod, Buffy chuckled softly. "Well then, come here!"

Han made his way over to Buffy's bed, and then cautiously took the small baby in his arms, automatically cradling her close to his own small body and propping her head up.

"Han, this is your sister - Joyce." She looked up at Jacen, her eyes shining. "Joyce Jaina Solo."

* * *

_She was the most beautiful baby I've ever seen. Han loved her from the moment he laid eyes on her - he told me once that he would always be there to protect her. And Jacen - Jacen was wonderful. Even in a detention camp with limited supplies he still managed to find everything and anything Joyce needed, he and the guys would find. Diapers, formula, a crib…anything she needed. And for the first time in my life, I had a family of my own. It was the happiest five months of my life…_

_And then one morning, I woke up…

* * *

_

Buffy was in heaven.

She moaned pleasantly as strong arms gently wrapped around her slender body as she lay almost-sleeping in their small apartment in Internment Camp 13.

Their apartment.

Buffy never could have foreseen what her life had become over the past two years. Her time actively involved in the war on a large scale had been limited. She had worked with her brother and Obi-Wan on several early missions, fighting back the Separatist forces. She had traveled with Masters Yoda and Windu all over the Core, fortifying positions and building allies. She had especially liked her time with the Wookies. For such large, imposing creatures, they really were giant teddy bears.

It was in the second year of the war that she got her first solo assignment - travel to Corellia, one of the few Core worlds to have fallen in the initial attacks, gather intel, and report back to the Council. It was an easy, in-and-out assignment, with extraction due to take place a mere month after she had landed.

Of course, that was when the Separatists launched full-blown attacks that had put Corellia deep behind enemy lines, and extraction had then proven impossible. So Buffy had moved onto plan 'B'- aid the resistance. And in aiding the resistance, she had met the man who had stolen her heart - Jacen Solo. Rugged, roguish, a daredevil and a hell of a pilot, Jacen was a widower and father of an eleven year old boy named Han. He was the leader of the local group of resistance fighters and, while he was happy for the help Buffy had offered, he wasn't impressed by her status as a Jedi. For this, Buffy was grateful. She had to deal with enough people who practically worshipped her because of what she could do with a lightsaber, and was glad that Jacen seemed to genuinely appreciate her for herself and not her powers.

Over the two years she had been trapped on Corellia, she and Jacen had rapidly fallen in love. It wasn't something she took lightly - her commitment to the Jedi Order expressly forbid her from loving him. And yet she had felt her feelings for the Rebel leader grow deeper, until one day she was forced to make a choice - the Jedi or Jacen. And after what seemed to be two lifetimes of being forced to live for her commitment to her calling, she had decided that, this time, she was due a little happiness. After all, she had seen what duty could do to destroy people. Shortly thereafter, the two were engaged, to be married as soon as Corellia was freed. Buffy had sent her resignation to the Council along with her regular status report hoping, as always, that it made it through the jamming.

Nine months later, their first daughter Joyce was born.

It was two months after that glorious day that Buffy found herself sighing in content as the familiar figure of her fiancé snuggled up behind her and nuzzled her neck.

"Time to wake up, Liza," Jacen said softly, using the nickname he had given her after they had started working together. As Buffy moaned reluctantly, he chuckled. "Come on. We both got jobs to do today."

Buffy shifted in the bed so she was facing him. "What, you're letting me out today?" she teased. "What about Joyce?"

"Han's going to watch her today. Take her to the park. Don't worry," he said off of her look, "they'll be safe. The Separatists haven't attacked a camp in months, despite what we've been able to do."

Buffy grinned. "But if I stay in bed today, I might convince you to stay in bed…think of the possibilities…"

This time it was Jacen's turn to chuckle. "As inviting as that sounds - and believe me, it does - I'm meeting with the other heads of the resistance. We're planning a massive counterstrike to cripple their communications."

"And me?"

"And you get to check out the clearing about three clicks southwest of the camp. Intel said some kind of vessel touched down there last night - might be some kind of droid spy ship."

"And they want someone stealthy to check it out?" Buffy surmised and Jacen nodded.

"Exactly. And here's some news I got earlier today - the Republic has the Separatists on the run. I give it a few more weeks before your back-up finally gets here. And then," he wrapped his arms around the blonde, "you will officially become Mrs. Buffy Solo; and we'll take Han and Joyce out in our ship for a nice, long vacation."

Buffy giggled. "Yeah, I can't wait to finally break that ship in. Especially the stateroom…" Her giggles dissolved as he tightened his grasp on her. Two slim arms reached up to stretch over his neck. The two spent a few more precious minutes on the bed, just kissing and holding one another, before they finally pulled apart.

"But that will be then. For now, I guess it's time I brought out my old clothes."

* * *

And then she couldn't speak anymore.

Buffy was silent for several minutes and Shmi's heart went out to her surrogate daughter; she would do anything to take Buffy's pain away from her, to make her feel whole once more. But she knew she couldn't do it. She knew what it was like to lose a child. And she knew that, unlike her, Buffy would never get her children back. But the one thing she could do was listen and support her daughter considering her life had been thrown in three hundred sixty degrees twice in the nearly as many years.

Buffy sniffed and wiped the tears from her eyes. "That day, Obi-Wan and Anakin came. The Seps attacked the camp and my family was wiped out. We managed to escape in the Falcon though I nearly ran it into a Sep cruiser. And that was my two and a half years on Corellia in a nutshell."

"And now?" Shmi asked. "How are you now, Buffy?"

Buffy smiled. "It took a few weeks but I'm fine now. At peace. I accept that they're gone; but I know I'll see them again one day. And in the meantime, they let me back into the Order - as a Master, no less. And that's a duty I will take seriously and fulfill to the best of my ability." She decided against telling why she was taking her duties so seriously, but with her brother's erratic behavior and the Supreme Chancellor's request for power, she felt she was exactly where she was needed.

"And after the war, Buffy? What then?"

Buffy considered the question for a moment. "I can feel that the war is almost over, Mom. When it is and everything settles down, I'll get Anakin and we'll come and see you. I think we could both use some downtime." She stifled a yawn. "But in the meantime, it's getting late and I still need to meditate."

"All right, sweet girl. I won't keep you anymore. Get some rest and take care of yourself."

"Goodnight, Mom," Buffy said, reaching over to sever the connection. "Hopefully, I'll see you soon." And with a click the connection was severed and Buffy was alone once more.

* * *

Buffy sat on the small round couch in the corner of her room that she used for meditating. Her legs were crossed beneath her, her arms rested in her lap and her eyes were closed as she reached into the Force to calm her mind…

_**FLASH**_

_Anakin was fighting a strange, pale woman with twin crimson lightsabers on a distant planet. The planet's giant red moon was visible over the ruins as the woman disarmed Anakin and then brought her twin blades down at her brother…_

_Anakin caught the woman's hands, stopping the blades decent. Using his mechanical hand, he squeezed her wrist until she yelled in pain and dropped the saber - which Anakin calmly floated into his opposite hand -_

_Then, his eyes filled with rage, he attacked…_

_**FLASH**_

_Buffy saw Anakin walking in a darkened corridor. Everything ws pitch black - the corridor, the man he was walking with, even Anakin seemed to be steeped in shadows, as if the Dark Side was trying its hardest to prevent her from seeing this -_

_But the power of the Dark Side was nothing compared to the stubbornness of a Summers' woman._

"_They don't trust you, Anakin," the dark figure said to Anakin. "They see your future. They know your power will be too strong to control. Anakin, you must break through the fog of lies the Jedi have created around you. Let me help you to know the subtleties of the Force."_

_Anakin looked at the dark figure suspiciously. "How do you know the ways of the Force?" _

"_My mentor taught me everything about the Force…" the man continued in a friendly tone, "even the nature of the dark side." _

"_You know the dark side?" Anakin asked incredulously. _

"_Anakin, if one is to understand the great mystery, one must study all its aspects, not just the dogmatic, narrow view of the Jedi," the man continued slowly. "If you wish to become a complete and wise leader, you must embrace a larger view of the Force. Be careful of the Jedi, Anakin." He paused, and though she couldn't see his face, Buffy felt the man look at Anakin as if he was looking directly into his soul. "They fear you. In time they will destroy you. Let me train you." _

"_I won't be a pawn in your political game," Anakin said somewhat defiantly. "The Jedi are my family." _

"_Only through me can you achieve a power greater than any Jedi. Learn to know the dark side of the Force, Anakin, and you will be able to save your wife from certain death." _

_What did he say?_

"_What did you say?" Anakin asked, suddenly fearful._

"_Use my knowledge, I beg you . . ." _

"_You're a Sith Lord!" Anakin exclaimed as he ignited his lightsaber. The blue glow of his blade couldn't penetrate the darkness around the other figure._

"_I know what has been troubling you," the man continued. "Listen to me. Don't continue to be a pawn of the Jedi Council! Ever since I've known you, you've been searching for a life greater than that of an ordinary Jedi . . . a life of significance, of conscience." _

_Don't listen to him, Ani._

"_You're wrong!" _

"_Are you going to kill me?" he asked Anakin. The Jedi's reply was pained, yet steady._

"_I would certainly like to." _

"_I know you would," the man said. She could practically sense the gloating smile on the dark figure's masked features. "I can feel your anger. It gives you focus, makes you stronger."_

_Anakin raised his lightsaber to the man's throat, then slowly lowered it, deactivating the blade._

"_I am going to turn you over to the Jedi Council," he said finally, an air of defeat surrounding him. The man nodded. _

"_Of course you should. But you're not sure of their intentions, are you? What if I am right and they are plotting to take over the Republic?"_

_WHAT? Ani, you can't be buying this crap!_

"_I will quickly discover the truth of all this," Anakin replied steadily. The man nodded once more._

"_You have great wisdom, Anakin," the man said. "Know the power of the dark side… the power to save Padmé."_

_**FLASH**_

Buffy's eyes snapped open and a gasp escaped her lips. She struggled to catch her breath, her heart pounding madly.

Anakin and Padmé are _married_? Something was starting to fall together, but at the same time it felt as though it were breaking apart. Someone was trying to turn Ani to the Dark Side…

"Oh_, juh jen sh guh kwai luh duh jean-jan..._"

* * *

**A/N:** By now, you all know I thrown in a little 'Ancient Corellian' (also known as Chinese) as a kind of tip of the hat to Firefly. But, as on the show (and movie), I haven't translated any of it. For the most part, the phrases Buffy and Anakin say will be found at this site: http/fireflychinese.home(google search the name to find the site). So, if you like to learn exactly how _colorful _Buffy and Anakin can be, check it out. Dŏng ma?

Also, a big thanks goes out to my betas Winterd and Fallenstar2 for their help and patience. And special thanks goes out to Fallenstar2, who helped spruce up this chapter in key ares- namley the romance.

No gaurantees on updates from now on- I'll try either weekly or bi-weekly- but work is seriously kicking my ass right now.


	7. Chapter 6: Confrontations

**Episode 3 Chapter 6**

**Confrontations

* * *

**

Anakin sighed as he entered Padmé's apartment. It had been a very trying day and he was still trying to wrap his head around what the Chancellor had told him at the opera. As he walked into the bedroom, Padmé noticed his discomfort.

"Ani, what's wrong?" she asked, rising from the bed and moving behind her husband. She slid her arms around his waist as he shrugged off his heavy robes. "What's troubling you?"

"The Chancellor's men have found General Grievous. Tomorrow, I'll inform the Council."

"That's wonderful!" Padmé exclaimed. "With Grievous defeated, the war will be over."

"And we can finally be together," Anakin finished, smiling slightly as he turned in his wife's arms and planted a gentle kiss on her lips. Padmé noticed his still distant expression and frowned.

"But you're still troubled," she said. "Ani…"

"It's nothing," Anakin assured her. "I just have a lot on my mind right now. Let's go to bed, Padmé." He cut her off before she could press further. "The best thing for me right now is for you to hold me in your arms."

* * *

Several hours later, Padmé was awoken by a persistent ringing noise. It took a few moments for her to realize the ringing was her door chime. Grumbling softly about the lack of privacy afforded to senators, she quietly rose from the bed and wrapped her robe around her. Quickly she made her way to the door and jabbed the panel beside it, opening the door. She gasped as she saw who stood just outside.

"Master Skywalker!" she exclaimed, loud enough so that her voice carried into her bedroom and alerted her sleeping husband. "What can I do for you this late in the evening?"

"Oh, not much," Buffy responded evenly. "Just thought I'd pay you a visit. After all, you're family now."

Padmé's voice hitched as a very un-lady-like thought flitted through her mind.

_Oh shit…_

Out loud, she merely said, "I don't know what…"

"Cut the crap, Padmé. I'm here to see your husband."

"I'm here."

Buffy looked past Padmé to see her brother make his way down from the bedroom. The Slayer glanced at the stricken Senator, who sighed in resignation before standing aside and letting her through.

"Anakin."

Her brother nodded in greeting. "Buffy. I knew you'd find out sooner or later. Though actually, I thought it'd be a bit sooner."

Buffy said nothing as she stalked towards her brother. She stopped in front of him for a moment, looking deep into his eyes as if looking for something. Then, without warning, her hand shot out -

… And grasped his ear, twisting it viciously.

"OW! Buffy!" Anakin practically shrieked as Buffy dragged her younger brother, by his ear, to the balcony.

"Wuh duh ma huh ta duh fung-kwong duh wai-shung doh!" she growled as she pushed him into the rail. "I cannot believe this… BELIEVE you!"

"Buffy, wait…"

"You got married! The most momentous, most important day of your life… and you did it behind my back! I cannot believe you! How could you not include me in on this?"

"Wait," Anakin interrupted, trying to sort though his confusion. "You're not mad at me for breaking the code, you're mad at me for not telling you I was going to break the code?"

"Oh, fuck the code," Buffy said with a dismissive gesture. "I've never liked that stupid code - thought it created more problems than it solved. And if I held that against you, I'd be the biggest hypocrite in the galaxy." Her tone softened as she gently placed her hand on his cheek. "I'm pissed that you didn't trust me enough to tell me. You should know I'd never put the Order ahead of you."

Anakin lowered his head in shame. "I'm sorry, Buffy. I wanted to tell you, but then you were trapped on Corellia…and when you came back…"

"When I came back, and you heard what happened, you thought I would be upset," Buffy finished. "Anakin, I was able to give it all up because I was trapped there. If I hadn't been, things may have been very different. But you…" Buffy paused. "How long have you been married, anyhow?"

"We got married when I escorted Padmé back to Naboo after Geonosis." He replied. "A little over three years now. And she's pregnant…"

Buffy squealed with delight. "Oh! Congrats, little bro…" she trailed off at the pained expression on his face. "Ani, what's wrong?"

The young Jedi sucked in a shuddering breath, then turned and placed his hands on the railing of the balcony. "I had a vision of her, Buffy. Of her dying in childbirth."

"Oh, Ani…"

"I'm not going to let it happen, Buffy. I've been looking into ways to stop it…"

Buffy breath hitched. "Looking into what, Ani?"

Ani didn't look at Buffy; he just kept looking out at the towering city before him - a grand monument to mechanization. "Willow was able to save my mother, Buffy. But she had a power that was far greater than mine." He turned quickly to face his sister. "If I can find a way to become as powerful as her, I could save-"

For a moment, Anakin thought he had entered hyperspace. When he regained his senses, however, he was sprawled on the floor; and he realized the spinning stars he was seeing were caused by Buffy's fist impacting with his jaw. He looked up at his sister in shock.

"_Gwai-gwai_ _long duh dong!_" he exclaimed, even as Padmé came running.

"Buffy, what-"

"Gwon nee tze-jee duh shr," she snapped at her sister-in-law. Looking back at Anakin, she scowled. The Jedi scowled right back.

"Don't talk to my wife like-"

"BEE-jway," she snapped. "Do you have any _freaking_ idea what you are doing? The forces you're messing with? Do you?" she stood over her brother, glaring down at him like the ancient gods on high. "Guess what, junior. I've had dreams, too. Do you want to know what are in my dreams? Death. Destruction. You in a dark corridor, being seduced to the Dark Side by some mysterious figure. You under a red moon, killing a Sith assassin in rage. You, going through the Temple, killing Jedi, Younglings… you, in a black suit, under a mask, killing Jedi far into the future. That's what I see. And now I learn the reason you go nuts is because you're too stupid to ask me for help!"

She reached down with her mechanical arm and grasped his night shirt, than hauled him back to his feet. The strength behind the pull suggested to Anakin that Buffy could have easily lifted him off of the ground, had he not been so tall. "You see this arm, Anakin? This is what the Dark Side does. It doesn't give life. It destroys it. Willow's last, selfless act was to heal mom enough to save her life. That wasn't the Dark Side, Ani. That was love.

"You know about my dreams, Ani. You know I get them to _prevent _things from happening." She let go of his tunic then reached up with her flesh hand and stroked her brother's cheek. "I won't lose you to this, Ani. I refuse to lose you to this."

Anakin looked to his sister with an anguished face. "I…I don't know what to do, Buffy…. I'm so lost…." Finally, all of the fear, the anger, the frustration that had been building over the past three years burst like a damn and Anakin collapsed into his sister's arms, crying.

* * *

A few minutes and many tears later, Anakin was sitting on the sofa, Buffy beside him with a comforting arm on his shoulder. Padmé came out of the kitchenette with a glass of blue milk she had had specially imported for her husband.

"Here, drink this," she directed Anakin, handing him the glass which he downed rapidly. He handed the empty glass back to Padmé with a soft 'thank you' and then put his head in his hands.

"Ani, what's going on?" she asked as she sat down next to him and took his hand in hers.

"I've just been so…lost," he repeated. "Nothing makes sense anymore. The Council doesn't trust me and then they ask me to do things that they've taught me my whole life were wrong. Obi-Wan sides with them over me; I've learned thins that make me question everything I believe in… I just don't know what to believe in anymore."

"It'll be okay, Ani." Padmé said soothingly. "We'll figure this out. Together."

"How can we do that if you die, Padmé?"

"She's not going to die, Ani," Buffy said with finality. "That's the one thing that I haven't seen."

"You can't see everything," Anakin pointed out.

"No, but I know that everything's connected," Buffy shot back. "My visions have focused on you. I bet if I help you, Padmé will be fine."

"I don't follow…"

"You ever heard of a self-fulfilling prophesy?" Buffy asked, cutting him off. "Simply put - YOU are the reason behind the prophecy. Hypothetically - you turn to the Dark Side for help and, in your zeal to keep Padmé alive, you kill her. Then I have to take you down."

Anakin looked indignant. "I would never-"

"No, you _will_ never," Buffy interjected. She pulled out a small piece of flimsipast. "This is an all-access pass to the Archives. You're too much like me, Ani - you won't stop searching for ways to help Padmé until you're sure you've found everything. So I'm giving this to you. Look up the healing arts - with your power, I think you could do wonders if you took the time to learn them. And look into the Dark Side - I want you to see what _really _happens to people who dip into that power. And I only want two things in return."

Anakin was staring at the flimsiplast in something akin to awe, and then looked back to her sister. "What do you want from me?"

"First - you never, EVER cut me out of the loop like this again. Something big happens - you tell me. You need help? You ask me. You're my brother, Ani. You come first for me, you got it?"

"Yes."

"Good. Second, and most important - you never, EVER, use the Dark Side. I want you to swear to me, Ani. I've lost my birth mother. I lost my sister. I even lost Willow, but I'll be damned if I lose you. Swear to me, Anakin."

Anakin looked closely at his sister, and he was shocked by what he saw. Because deep in her eyes, he saw the one thing he had never seen in her before.

Fear.

She was afraid. For _him._ Of losing _him._ Of losing her family - the only family she had left.

"I swear to you, Buffy. I won't fall to the Dark side," he said after a moment. Anakin sighed in relief as he felt a great burden lift off of his chest. He was going to be okay. Padmé was going to be okay. They would get through this.

Somehow.

* * *

Meanwhile, a dark-robed figure stood in the Chancellor's office, looking down over the city. _His _city. A symbol of his Republic and, if all went according to plan, _his _empire. Suddenly he felt something through the Force, something that caused him to frown.

"Something vexing thee?" a slightly mocking voice asked. He didn't look over as Darth Traya, Dark Lady of the Sith, moved to stand beside him.

Darth Sidious, also known as Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, sneered. "I sense something in the Force. It would appear that our plan to lure young Anakin Skywalker to the Dark Side has failed."

"You mean _your _plan to turn Anakin has failed miserably," she smirked as the all powerful Sith Lord actually growled at her. "Never fear, My Lord," she continued smoothly. "I assure you, _my _plan will not fail."

"You are sure?"

"Positive. My compulsion spell is unbreakable. And the longer he is under it, the deeper into the Dark Side he will fall, until he is so far under, he calls you Master willingly."

"That is something he would have been doing if that damnable sister had been eliminated."

This time, Traya scowled. "That was unforeseeable. The damnable woman has a unique ability to cheat death. She should have died in orbit of Corellia. And when I found out she was still alive on the planet's surface, she should have died with her new 'family'."

"She should have died in the hangar on Geonosis."

"I never expected her to be able to deflect my lightening, let alone absorb it like she did. It was a miracle she only lost her arm."

"Her sway over the boy is considerable," Sidious remarked. "She needs to be eliminated for any plan to turn him to work."

"She does not need to be destroyed; merely distracted," Traya replied. "The Council will see to that. They will certainly send her after Grievous. And the insult of the Council giving this assignment to his sister will be a nice catalyst for little Ani." She smiled cruelly. "It will make it easy to turn him."

Sidious nodded. "What of our other project?"

Now Traya shuffled nervously. "Ah, that would be a 'good news, bad news' report."

"Speak."

"The good news is that the test has been successful," Traya smiled proudly. "The body was younger and healthier than the owner's original body, able to withstand the rigors of the rite. And the blending of the called soul was seamless. He was as he originally was, before he was cut down."

"So, we have done it," Sidious smiled. "We have found a way to cheat death."

Traya shrugged. "More like we've found a way _back_ from death. You would still have to die… or at the very least, separate your spirit from your body."

"That can be accomplished easily, for a Sith," Sidious replied. "What of the bad news?"

"He would not turn," Traya explained. "I spent the past two years trying and nothing would work. So I ordered his execution."

"And he escaped," Sidious surmised and Traya nodded. "It makes little difference. Soon the war will be over and the Jedi will be hunted down and eliminated."

Traya nodded, and then turned to look out upon the city. "By your command, my Master."

TBC…..

* * *

A/N: Yeah, it's a bit late. But whatcha gonna do? Anyhoo, The next chapter's almost complete, and I'm two up on 'Light Brigade'. And now I'm putting the call out for an unusual request- does anybody know where I can find some good, LONG, Stargate SG-1/Star War's crossovers? I read a really good one over at Wormhole Crossings, but I've seen hide nor hair of any more. Also- Harry Potter/SG-1 crossovers; I'm looking for those, too.

As always, a special thanks to my beta's Winterd and Fallenstar2.


	8. Chapter 7: Departures and Discoveries

**A/N: **Oops. Would you believe I've had this chapter beta'd for about three weeks, but didn't post it because I thought I had posted it?

**Discalimer: **I own nothing but the upcomming plot, and even some of that belongs to Lucas,

**Special thanks as always to my two wonderful Beta's: Winterd and Fallenstar2, whose awesome story 'Where Have You Been' has finally been updated.

* * *

Episode 3 Chapter 7**

**Departures and Discoveries

* * *

**

The next morning, Anakin stood outside the Council chambers waiting for his sister to arrive. He had spent the rest of the night thinking on what Buffy had said as well as thinking about his own recent behavior. The resulting conclusions he'd reached didn't please him in the least.

"I hope you got some sleep last night," Buffy said as she moved up beside her brother. Anakin smiled sheepishly.

"A little," he admitted. "But mostly I stayed up thinking. I haven't been a very pleasant person recently, have I?"

"Well, that was the general point I was trying to get across," Buffy said with a small grin. "You were under a lot of stress."

"And now I got a handle on it, thanks to you."

Buffy chuckled. "That's what big sisters are for, little bro." She waved at the doors to the chambers. "Now let's get in there and mingle with the older guys."

Anakin nodded and started towards the doors. Suddenly he stopped and looked back to his sister with an incredulous look on his face.

"Who are you calling 'little', midget?" he asked playfully. Buffy just swatted him on his arm.

"Watch it, you…"

* * *

"Utapau?" Mace Windu asked, disbelief evident in his voice. "Grievous is on Utapau?"

"Palpatine seems to think General Grievous is on Utapau," Ki-Adi-Mundi replied. "But we have had no reports of this from our agents."

"How could the Chancellor have come by this information and we know nothing about it?" Mace continued. "We have had contact with Baron Papanoida and he said no one was there."

"A partial message was intercepted in a diplomatic packet from the Chairman of Utapau," Anakin replied. The hologram of Yoda nodded in thought.

"Act on this, we must. The capture of General Grievous will end this war. Quickly and decisively we should proceed."

"Does everyone agree?" Obi-wan asked. All of the Jedi nodded there agreement. Anakin took a deep, cleansing breath and then continued.

"The Chancellor has requested that I lead the campaign."

Mace shot a look at Anakin. "The Chancellor doesn't dictate-"

"But I disagree," Anakin continued, bringing Mace up short. The Master's eyes narrowed as he regarded the young Jedi.

"Explain, Skywalker."

Anakin leaned forward, his hands on his knees. "Grievous has killed many Jedi. Indeed, it would appear that General Grievous was trained _to_ kill Jedi. Sending any more Jedi after him - be it me or you, Master Windu, would be foolish. Instead, we need to send someone that Grievous wouldn't know exactly how to fight. Someone who is more than a Jedi." He looked over to his sister with an almost apologetic smile. "We should send Master Skywalker."

"This is for me calling you 'little lrother', isn't it?" Buffy admonished with a smirk.

"Before Buffy was a Jedi, she was a Slayer. Her fighting methods have always been unorthodox for a Jedi -"

"So Grievous won't know exactly how to deal with it," Mace finished.

"Exactly, Master."

"Agree with Young Skywalker, I do," Yoda's hologram said. "But go alone, Master Skywalker will not. Master Kenobi," Yoda turned to face the other Master, "with Master Skywalker, you will go."

Obi-Wan nodded. "I'll alert Commander Cody and have the 212th Attack Battalion standing by."

"I need to get something from my quarters so I'll meet you on the landing pad," Buffy said as she rose. The rest of the Masters followed suit.

"Very well. May the Force be with you all," Mace concluded, bringing the meeting to a close. The holograms of the absent Masters flickered and faded away as the rest of the Masters made for the exit. "Skywalker, remain for a moment."

Anakin stood with his hands clasped behind his back as the rest of the Masters filed out, until only he and Mace Windu remained. Mace didn't waste any time.

"Anakin, you know I've never been a fan of yours. I've found you to be reckless, disobedient, overly emotional…"

"Don't hold back Master. Tell me how you really feel," Anakin said, somewhat irritably. Mace glared back at him.

"And your attachment to both your mother and your sister has always bothered me," Mace continued. "And these past few days, your behavior has been less than stellar. Until today when you put aside personal gratification and lust for power and made the proper call in regards to Grievous."

"I had a long talk with my sister last night," Anakin replied evenly. "She made me see a few hard truths about myself and how I've been behaving." He chuckled under his breath, remembering the fierce hook and his sudden oblivion. "She has a way of making you listen to her, even if you don't want to."

Mace chuckled in agreement. "I can't argue with that." His face suddenly sobered. "Listen, Anakin. I've always been so hard on you because I believed your attachments would lead you down a dark path. But now I see how wrong I was in this case. I can see how Buffy keeps you on the light path." Mace put his hand on Anakin's shoulder. "You are a powerful Jedi, Anakin. And someday soon you will sit on this Council as a Master. Just be patient, and continue to show the wisdom you displayed today."

Anakin bowed his head in respect. "Yes, Master Windu. Thank you for your confidence."

"Alright then, Anakin. Now let's go see your sister off," Windu said and the two made their way out of the Council chambers.

* * *

Buffy made her way quickly through her room, gathering what she believed she would need for her mission. She decided to forgo her normal Jedi garb, electing instead to wear her Corellian wear – loose-fitting pants, a form-fitting tank top and a Corellian officer's jacket that had belonged to Jacen. It was loose fitting, allowing freedom of movement; yet tight enough that it didn't get in the way. It also allowed her a place to store her lightsaber out of sight.

And speaking of lightsabers…

Buffy moved over to her desk and opened the bottom drawer. Carefully she removed a slender metal box, a box she had placed in that drawer over thirteen years ago when she first moved into these quarters. She slowly opened the box and reverently removed the slender metal and rubber cylinder from within.

About a foot long, rubber gripping covering almost the entire metal cylinder to facilitate a two-handed grip that was popular with the older Jedi. None of the adjustment knobs found on newer models; all adjustments were down within the focusing chamber. In fact, the only button on the device was its activation stud, located up near the emitter. With a small smile, she hit the activator and a green bar of energy flared to life.

"I thought that had been destroyed at the funeral," her former Master's voice said from the doorway. Buffy smiled and tuned to face Mace, who wore a rare smile of his own.

"I came to wish you luck. Anakin was with me, but he had to stop off at the archives. He asked me to tell you he'd see you before he left."

"You two have words?" Buffy asked, deactivating the lightsaber. Mace nodded.

"Yes, but they were mostly good."

"First time for everything," she replied. She held up the lightsaber for Mace to see. "It was Qui-Gon's. I took it before the cremation. At first, I felt that if I couldn't save him, maybe I could use this," she gestured with the weapon, "to do some good in the universe. Maybe I still can."

"Two lightsabers are better than one?" Mace asked.

"Three with Obi-Wan's," Buffy replied.

Mace nodded in understanding. "Then I wish you well. May the Force be with you, Buffy."

"You too," Buffy replied.

* * *

A short time later, Buffy met Obi-Wan and Anakin down at the departure docks. The two Jedi stood at the top of the boarding ramp that led to Obi-Wan's star destroyer.

"Hey guys," she said, giving her brother a quick hug. "Sorry I'm late. Had to get a few things."

"Nice outfit," Anakin commented. Buffy merely rolled her eyes.

"Thanks, bro," Buffy replied, patting his arm a bit harder than necessary. "You gonna study while we're gone?"

"Yes, Master. I'm headed back to the Archives as soon as you leave."

"I'm sorry I can't stick around to help…"

"This mission needed a Slayer," Anakin assured her. "It's alright. Besides, you've already helped me enough."

"Good," Buffy smiled and then looked to the massive ship in front of her. "Well, I'm off. Take care, Ani."

"Be careful, Buffy," Ani said, watching his sister walk down the ramp. He then turned his attention on his former Master. "Master, I believe I owe you an apology."

Obi-Wan looked confused. "An apology? For what?"

"My behavior over the past few days has been unacceptable," Anakin continued. "I've disappointed you. I have not been very appreciative of your training . . . I have been arrogant and I apologize. I was having…problems dealing with some personal issues."

"You are strong and wise, Anakin, and I am very proud of you. I have trained you since you were a small boy and I have taught you everything I know. And you have become a far greater Jedi than I could ever hope to be and you have saved my life more times than I can remember." He paused and looked at his former apprentice in concern. "Is there anything I can do?" Obi-Wan asked, concerned for his former apprentice. Anakin shook his head.

"No. Buffy's already helped me out. But when I get back, you and I will have a long talk, I promise."

Obi-Wan nodded. "Alright then. I'll look forward to it."

Anakin smiled and then nodded at his mentor. "May the Force be with you, Master."

"And may the Force be with you as well, Anakin," Obi-Wan said before turning and heading down the ramp.

* * *

Meanwhile Padmé, Mon Mothma and Bail Organa sat in Padmé's living room with a few select Senators discussing how best to bring back the democracy that had been subverted by Palpatine over years of war. With the end of the war in sight, the three senators knew that the Chancellor must be reminded that the powers he now had were given to him for the duration of the war and, when it ended, must be given back. How to remind him of that, however, was a matter of debate.

"We cannot let this turn into another war," Padmé said, leaning forward on the couch. Bail nodded.

"Absolutely, that is the last thing we want."

"We are hoping to form an alliance in the Senate to stop the Chancellor from further subverting the constitution, that's all," Mon Mothma added. Padmé looked thoughtfully out the window for a moment, considering.

"I know a Jedi I feel it would be wise to consult," she said finally. Mon Mothma frowned.

"That would be dangerous," Bana Breemu said worriedly.

"We don't know where the Jedi stand in all this," Mon Mothma added.

"How many of you know of Master Buffy Skywlaker?" Padmé asked, looking at each Senator in turn. Giddean Danu spoke up.

"She was the Jedi that was stranded on Corellia, was she not? I seem to recall some controversy upon her return about what happened there."

Padmé nodded. "The controversy had more to do with personal issues than anything else. The reason I bring her up is because she has voiced her opinions of the Chancellor repeatedly. She is also a firm believer in democracy and her recent return has put her in favor with the rest of the Council."

"You know this how?" Bail inquired.

"I know this because I am friends with her," Padmé replied evenly. "We talk. The point is she could be a powerful ally and could tell us how the Jedi feel about all of this."

"Going against the Chancellor without the support of the Jedi is risky," Giddean Danu said thoughtfully. "If we knew for sure that we had their support…"

"We have so many Senators on our side," Fang Zar said. "Surely that will persuade the Chancellor."

"When you present the 'petition of the two thousand' to the Chancellor, things may change," Bana Breemu replied.

"Let us see what we can accomplish in the Senate," Bail decided after a moment, "before we include the Jedi."

Padmé sighed in disappointment. "Very well."

* * *

With Buffy and Obi-Wan off to capture Grievous, Anakin had decided to make use of Buffy's all-access pass to the Archives. As he wandered through the stacks, unsure exactly where to start, he thought back to the previous night and what Buffy had told him.

_Look up the healing arts - with your power, I think you could do wonders if you took the time to learn them. And look into the Dark Side - I want you to see what really happens to people who dip into that power._

Anakin decided to start with the later, and headed to the Restricted Section. He wandered through the stacks of holo-novels, selecting several of the older and forbidden titles. He pulled several that dealt with the lore of the lost Jedi healing arts; techniques that hadn't been used in millennia. As he moved through the stacks, he found another holo-novel, stuck in the back recesses of the stacks - one that immediately piqued his interest.

_A History of the Sith_

"Know thy enemy," Anakin murmured to himself as he pulled the novel from the shelf and headed to a research table in the back. He slipped the Sith novel into the reader and brought it up on the display.

_Although the modern era of the Sith is attributed to Darth Bane, and the Dark __Jedi__ that preceded him, the cult can find its roots further back in the galaxy's ancient past. Long before the Republic rose, there lived a culture on the planet Korriban. These primitive people were called the Sith, and the Force flowed strongly through their bloodlines. Although they didn't practice the Force as the Jedi would, they were talented in their own brand of magic._

_In the early days of the Jedi, a great schism tore the order apart. Jedi who had tapped the forbidden power of the Force's dark side rebelled against their light-sided brothers. After a terrible war, the Dark Jedi were exiled from the Republic. Past the Republic's growing borders, these castaways discovered Korriban and the Sith people. _

_Powerful with the dark side, the Jedi outcasts set themselves up as gods on Korriban. The primitive Sith worshipped them as their lords, and so the Jedi grew, and built temples and monuments to celebrate their power. Millennia of interbreeding blurred the distinction between Sith native and offworlder, and the term Sith came to encompass not only the indigenous people of Korriban, but also the powerful overlords that ruled them. _

_Five thousand years ago, during the Sith Empire'__s golden age, a Republic explorer vessel stumbled upon the secluded worlds of the Sith. One Sith Lord, Naga Sadow, saw this as an opportunity to invade the Republic, and exact vengeance on the Jedi who had banished them. History would record the invasion that followed as the Great Hyperspace War, and it would be the first of many terrible conflicts between Jedi and Sith._

_Time and again the Sith and Jedi would clash, with devastated worlds lying in their wake. The last great conflict took place on the scarred plains of Ruusan. The Sith Lord Kaan and his Brotherhood of Darkness did battle with the Jedi Army of Light. From this onslaught, one Sith escaped: Darth Bane. It was he who would resurrect the order with duplicity and secrecy in mind, and it was he who instituted the rule of only one master, one apprentice, that has allowed the Sith to survive._

Anakin sat there for what seemed to be hours, taking in the forbidden lore of the Sith. And what he read terrified him. Death, destruction, isolation… the total absence of he things that made a person human. That made _him_ human.

"Well, this is…unexpected," a voice said behind him. Anakin looked over his shoulder to see a very disapproving-looking Nejaa Halcyon standing there, his arms crossed. "Exactly what do you think you're doing, Anakin?"

"Know thy enemy," Anakin said simply, gesturing at the screen. "The Sith are behind everything that's been happening over the past few years. I'm trying to find out why."

"Interesting methods. Doesn't explain how you got access to _restricted_ materials…" Halcyon trailed off as Anakin produced his pass from Buffy. "Called in a few favors with your sister, did you?"

"Don't hold back, Hal. What is it you're really trying to say?"

"I'm saying I've noticed your behavior over the past few days, Anakin. I've felt how angry, how frustrated you have been. And now I find you researching the Dark Side…"

"It's because of my anger and frustration that Buffy told me to research the Dark Side," Anakin countered. "She wanted me to know about it so I could see what I could lose if I ever gave in to it. And you know how much I have to lose."

Halcyon nodded after a moment. Of course he knew how much Anakin had to lose. It hadn't been that long ago when he and Anakin had been dispatched to Praesitlyn to recapture a crucial Republic communications center. On that mission, they had both divulged their greatest secrets to one another - Nejaa about his wife and son on Corellia; and Anakin about his marriage to Padmé. Halcyon often thought that during the darkest of times, his love for his family was the only thing that allowed him to resist the call of the Dark Side. He wasn't entirely sure about Anakin, but he suspected it was the same for him as well.

"From what I've read, the only thing a Sith is capable of loving is power. And that wouldn't quite work for me," Anakin continued. "Buffy knew that. That's why she had me look this stuff up."

"To scare you away," Nejaa finished. Anakin nodded.

"Exactly." Then he gestured at the rest of the holo-novels. "Besides, it's not the only thing I've been studying."

Nejaa looked at the titles of the holo-novels and whistled softly. "You set your sights high, haven't you?" the Jedi Master looked to the younger Jedi. "You know, the techniques behind these arts have been lost for centuries?"

"I know. But perhaps I can uncover something… At times like these, we need healing arts now more than ever."

Nejaa nodded and placed a hand on Anakin's shoulder. "Well, I won't keep you any longer. Though I should warn you - Buffy and Obi-Wan should reach Utapau within twelve hours. After that, you should prepare to meet with the Chancellor to tell him of the end of the war."

"Very well, Hal," Anakin said, deactivating the Sith holo-novel and removing if from the reader. "Would you do me a favor and return this? I won't have any further need of it."

Nejaa smiled and took the novel from Anakin. With a small bow, he turned and left as Anakin inserted the next holo-novel into the reader and began to read.

TBC

**A/N: History of the Sith taken from the Star Wars Database on Star Wars . Com  
**


	9. Chapter 8: Battle on Utapau

**A/N: **My apologies for the lateness of this chapter, but work and real life have conspired against me. On the bright side, I'm now up to Chapter 13, so updates should be regular again. As always, I thank my two wonderful Beta's Fallenstar2 and Winterd for all of their help.

**Disclaimer: **I own nothign but the upcomming plot. George, Joss, do yourselves a favor- don't waste time trying to sue me, for I have no more money to give.

**Episode 3 Chapter 8**

**Battle on Utapau

* * *

**

Obi-Wan and Buffy stood in the hanger onboard Cody's massive Star Destroyer. Obi-Wan stood next to Buffy's modified ARC-170, looking at a hologram of Utapau projected by R-4 as Cody briefed the two Jedi.

"Fortunately, most of the cities are concentrated on this small continent here . . . on the far side," Clone Commander Cody was saying. Obi-Wan nodded in understanding.

"We'll keep them distracted until you get there," Obi-Wan said. "Just don't take too long."

"Come on, boss, when have I ever let you down?"

"Cato Nemoidia . . . for starters," Obi-Wan said with a laugh. Buffy just sighed.

"Men." she said as she climbed into the pilots seat. Obi-Wan followed her lead and climbed into the second seat in the rear.

"That was Anakin who was late. I believe." Cody replied with a grin.

"Very well, the burden is on us not to destroy all the droids before you get there."

Buffy sealed the cockpit and activated the sublight engines. The clones headed to the safety of the pressurized bays as the massive main hanger doors opened, allowing the fighter to exit the ship.

"Entering coordinates into the main navi-computer," Buffy announced, bringing her ship's hyperdrive engines online.

"Are you sure this is safe, Buffy?" Obi-Wan asked, somewhat nervously. Buffy nodded.

"Positive. Jacen installed the hyperdrive himself, and I've added a few other goodies that were in the R&D department back on Corellia. I'm just glad it was attached to the Falcon when we escaped."

"I wasn't talking about the engines, Buffy," Obi-Wan elaborated. "I meant your flying."

"Nice," Buffy said sarcastically as she engaged the hyperdrive. In a flash, they were gone.

* * *

Several hours later, Buffy's ARC-170 flashed into existence in the Utapau system. 

"Well, there it is," Obi-Wan said, pointing at the yellowish planet that hung in space in front of them. "Utapau."

"A sinkhole planet." Buffy noted and then added dryly, "You sure know how to show a girl a good time."

"Well, you always say that I never take you any place new," Obi-Wan retorted with a grin. "Now, can we get moving and end this war?"

"Roger that," Buffy replied. "Heading for the mid-level landing platform."

Buffy gracefully flew her fighter down into the largest sinkhole, and gently landed the craft onto the protruding landing platform. She opened the cockpit and allowed Obi-Wan to exit. As the elder Jedi walked up to the approaching leader of Utapau, Buffy had a sudden sense of trepidation overtake her. She closed her eyes and reached out with her feelings, hoping to discover the source of her dread.

"Greetings, young Jedi," the tall, grey-faced alien known as Tion Medon said as he approached Obi-Wan. "What brings you to our remote sanctuary?" Obi-Wan smiled ruefully."Unfortunately, the war," he said, causing Tion to frown. "There is no war here unless you've brought it with you," he replied. Obi-Wan nodded. "With your kind permission, I should like some fuel and to use your city as a base as I search nearby systems for General Grievous."

Tion gestured to a pit crew standing off to the side, who immediately approached Buffy's ship and hooked up fuel lines. As they did this, Tion stepped up close to Obi-Wan. "He is here!" he whispered urgently. "We are being held hostage. They are watching us." Obi-Wan nodded. "I understand." "The tenth level . . . thousands of Battle Droids . . ."

"Tell your people to take shelter. If you have warriors, now is the time." Obi-Wan then bowed in gratitude, then turned and headed back to the ship and climbed in.

"He's here, on the tenth level."

"We should make it look like we're leaving. Arfour, take the Prometheus and send a message to Commander Cody. Tell him we've made contact and are proceeding with the operation. Then execute plan Cooper-Beta."

The little astro-droid beeped in compliance and fired up the engines. Buffy and Obi-Wan sereptiously slipped out of the cockpit and moved into the shadows, out of view to prying eyes. As the Prometheus took off, Obi-Wan looked at her curiously.

"You named your fighter?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. Buffy shrugged.

"Old Earth Greek mythology. I'll tell you the story sometime."

"And that last order?"

Buffy's face darkened. "I got a bad feeling about this. I'm not sure about what exactly, but something bad is coming. And I want an out. Just trust me on this, okay?"

Obi-Wan nodded. He had learned long ago to trust Buffy premonitions. "Very well. Let's get to it then, shall we?"

* * *

Back on Coruscant, Chancellor Palpatine was listening to a delegation from the Senate. The Senators, led by Padmè, was present in his chambers to present him with the concerns of the 'Delegation of Two Thousand'. 

"I understand your reservations completely, Senator," Palpatine said after Padmé outlined their concerns. "And I assure you the appointment of Governors will in no way compete with the duties of the Senate."

"May I take it then, that there will be no further amendments to the Constitution?" Padmé asked. Palpatine nodded solemnly.

"I want this terrible conflict to end as much as you do, My Lady, and when it does I guarantee an immediate return to democracy . . ."

"You are pursuing a diplomatic solution to the war, then," Padmé interrupted.

Palpatine shook his head, a sad look on his face. "You must trust me to do the right things, Senator," he said. "That is why I am here."

"But surely . . ." Fang Zar started, but Palpatine turned to face him "I have said I will do what is right, that should be enough for your . . . committee," he added the last part with a slight air of distaste.

"On behalf of the 'delegation of two thousand,' I thank you, Chancellor," Padmé said after a beat, bringing the meeting to a close. The Senators all rose to leave.

"I thank you for bringing this to my attention, Senator," Palpatine replied. The Senators turned and left the office, leaving the Chancellor alone.

Well, almost alone.

Darth Traya, Dark Lady of the Sith, shimmered into the room and looked at the door the Senators had left through with distaste. "I can't believe I was _ever _interested in politics."

"They have their benefits, my dear," Palpatine stated, looking over the list of names of the Senators that had signed the Delegation's petition. "Well, this makes our job that much easier."

"Would you like me to start eliminating them now, or would you rather wait until after we deal with the Jedi?"

"After," Palpatine stated after a moment. "Patience, Traya. We will deal with them all soon enough. Starting with your sister."

Traya smiled sinisterly at that. She couldn't wait to put her in her place...

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Buffy and Obi-Wan made their way up above the bay Grievous had set up in on one of the indigenous Lizard creatures the Utapauians rode. They both climbed off and looked down at the mass of droids assembled below. 

"I count four of the Manga-Gaurds Grievous has been using, along with about a two hundred other various droids," Buffy said, unzipping her jacket and withdrawing her sabers. Obi-Wan nodded as he shed his cloak.

"Two against two hundred. Good odds, don't you think?"

"What's the plan?"

"I thought we would just drop in and say hello."

Buffy snorted silently. "Yeah, that's a plan. Shall we?" And with that, they jumped down behind the general.

"Hello, there!" Obi-Wan said as he landed.

"Hey, Sparky!" Buffy added. Grievous spun around and snarled.

"Ahh, General Kenobi! You are the bold one. And Master Summers," he turned his icy stare on Buffy. "I expected someone of your reputation to be somewhat...taller."

Buffy looked affronted. "Tell me Sparky-Plugg over there didn't just make a short joke," she growled.

"No, I'm afraid he did," Obi-Wan responded. Buffy instantly activated both of her lightsabers.

"Okay, that's it. NOBODY makes short jokes about me and survives."

"No, I'm afraid YOU won't be surviving," Grievous snarled, then turned to his Manga-guards. "Crush them!"

The four bodyguard droids activated their electrostaffs and moved to attack. Buffy moved in, her twin blades flashing as she blocked three staffs at once as Obi-Wan battled the fourth.

Buffy moved with dizzying speed, her silver and green blades spinning almost faster then the eye could see, blocking the staffs and slicing into the guards armored forms. In only a few moments, the advanced droids were heaps of scrap at her feet. Just as she finished, Obi-Wan forced his opponents staff down to the ground, then instantly reversed the direction of his lightsaber and decapitated the driod, then finished it off with a quick thrust to the chest. The remaining droids moved in, their weapons raised, but a motion from Grievous brought them up short.

"Enough of this," Grievous said, moving forward. "I will deal with them myself."

"Wow, I am so intimidated. Are you intimidated?" Buffy asked Obi-Wan. The elder Jedi nodded.

"Very much so," he replied deadpan. "I am truly terrified."

"You fool!" Grievous shouted as he shrugged off his cape. "I was trained in your Jedi arts by Count Dooku!" He lifted two lightsabers from his belt, then suddenly his two arms split into four. The other two arms grabbed two more lightsabers, and all four blades were ignited in quick succession. "Attack, if you dare!"

Buffy and Obi-Wan exchanged a look, something akin to trepidation passing over Kenobi's face. Buffy raised her eyebrow and, without even looking, locked her blade into the 'on' position and threw it, side-handed, at the droid General. The blade flew so fast that even the droids enhanced senses couldn't track it, and before he could even consider blocking it, the blade impacted into the General's chest. The blade punctured the bag holding in the General's biological organs, setting the fluid they were in on fire and incinerating them. As the General's last remaining biological parts burned, Grievous was finally granted the death he had been denied shortly before he was turned into this mechanical monstrosity. As his mechanical body fell to its knees, Buffy twisted her wrist and used the Force to call her lightsaber back to her, even as Obi-Wan raise his hand towards a piece of machinery hanging over the body, and used the Force to bring it down on top of it.

The room seemed to freeze as they all stared at where the remains of General Grievous, leader of the Separatist armies, lay buried under mechanical rubble.

"Well, I must say that was somewhat...anti-climatic," Obi-Wan noted as he moved in to attack the surrounding droids.

"Big opening, little show," Buffy agreed, moving in synch with Obi-Wan as they destroyed the droids around them. They weren't alone for long, though, for after a few moments Commander Cody's clone troopers arrived.

* * *

Meanwhile at the Temple Mace, Anakin, and the holograms of Yoda, Ki-Adi-Mundi and Aayla Secura were conferring on the status of their campaigns. Suddenly another hologram appeared- Clone Commander Cody, his helmet off and his expression eager."Master Windu, may I interrupt?" Cody asked, then proceeded when Mace nodded in ascent. "General Kenobi and Commander Skywalker have engaged and defeated General Grievous. Commander Skywalker would like me to pass on her disappointment on how short the fight was, and would like me to ask you exactly what have you been doing for the past two years if she could beat the 'walking tin can' in under two minutes." 

Anakin chuckled, and even Mace had a small smile on his face. "Yeah, that sounds like my sister." Anakin noted.

"My troops have commenced the attack, Masters," Cody concluded. Mace nodded.

"Thank you, Commander," he said, and Cody's hologram faded out. The Jedi Master then turned to Anakin. "Anakin, deliver this report to the Chancellor. His reaction will give us a clue to his intentions."

The younger Jedi nodded. "Yes, Master," he replied, then turned and walked out of the communications room. Mace watched him go for a moment, then turned back to his fellow Masters.

"I sense a plot to destroy the Jedi. The dark side of the Force surrounds the Chancellor," he said at length. Ki-Adi-Mundi nodded pensively. "If he does not give up his emergency powers after the destruction of Grievous, then he should be removed from office."

"That could be a dangerous move ..." Mace cautioned. "The Jedi Council would have to take control of the Senate in order to secure a peaceful transition."

"And replace the Congress with Senators who are not filled with greed and corruption," Ki-Adi-Mundi added. Yoda ran his small hand over his wrinkled head in concern.

"To a dark place this line of thought will carry us. Hmmmmm. . . . great care we must take," he said, looking at his fellow Masters, all of whom had a sad look in their eyes.

* * *

Chancellor Palpatine was reviewing fleet movements when Anakin entered his office. The Chancellor turned off the holo-imager and swivelled his chair to face Anakin. 

"Chancellor," the Jedi began, "we have just received a report from Master's Kenobi and Skywalker. They have defeated General Grievous and engaged his armies."

Palpatine nodded. "We can only hope that they are up to the challenge."

"I feel as though I should be there, even though I know that Buffy can take care of herself."

"It is upsetting to me to see that the Council doesn't seem to fully appreciate your talents," Palpatine remarked as the two walked out of the office and into the short hallway that adjoined his work office to his main office. "Don't you wonder why they won't make you a Jedi Master?"

"I am too impatient, to impetuous," Anakin remarked. "It took a good verbal beating about that recently, and told me that I needed to learn patience. Much as you have over the years," he added with a wry grin. Palpatine smirked.

"Perhaps she is wiser that I thought." They chuckled for a moment, before Palpatine turned back to Anakin. "I don't think they trust you, Anakin. They see your future. They know your power will be too strong to control. Anakin, you must break through the fog of lies the Jedi have created around you. Let me help you to know the subtleties of the Force."

"How do you know the ways of the Force?" Anakin asked, suddenly wary, remembering his sisters concerns.

"My mentor taught me everything about the Force," Palpatine continued in a friendly tone, "even the nature of the Dark Side."

"You know the Dark Side?" Anakin asked incredulously.

"Anakin, if one is to understand the great mystery, one must study all its aspects, not just the dogmatic, narrow view of the Jedi," the Chancellor continued slowly. "If you wish to become a complete and wise leader, you must embrace a larger view of the Force. Be careful of the Jedi, Anakin." He paused, seeming to look deep into Anakin's soul. "They fear you. In time they will destroy you. Let me train you."

"I won't be a pawn in your political game," Anakin said, somewhat defiantly. "The Jedi are my family."

"Only through me can you achieve a power greater than any Jedi. Learn to know the dark side of the Force, Anakin, and you will be able to save your wife from certain death."

"What did you say?" Anakin asked, suddenly fearful.

"Use my knowledge, I beg you . . ."

"You're the Sith Lord!" Anakin exclaimed as he ignited his lightsaber. The blue glow of his blade illuminated Palpatine's face.

"I know what has been troubling you," the Dark Lord continued. "Listen to me. Don't continue to be a pawn of the Jedi Council! Ever since I've known you, you've been searching for a life greater than that of an ordinary Jedi . . . a life of significance, of conscience."

"You're wrong!"

"Are you going to kill me?" he asked Anakin. The Jedi's reply was pained, yet steady.

"I would certainly like to."

"I know you would," Palpatine said, closing his eyes and sensing the swirling emotions that surrounded the young Jedi. "I can feel your anger. It gives you focus, makes you stronger."

Anakin raised his lightsaber to the man's throat, then slowly lowered it, deactivating the blade.

"I am going to turn you over to the Jedi Council," he said finally. Palpatine nodded.

"Of course you should. But you're not sure of their intentions, are you? What if I am right and they are plotting to take over the Republic?"

"I will quickly discover the truth of all this," Anakin replied steadily. Palpatine nodded once more.

"You have great wisdom, Anakin," the man said. "Know the power of the dark side. The power to save Padmé."

**TBC...**


	10. Chapter 9: Fall of the Jedi Part 1

**Episode 3 Chapter 9**

**Fall of the Jedi (Part 1)

* * *

**

**Utapau

* * *

**

Buffy and Obi-Wan stood with Commander Cody and several ARC troopers surveying the plans to the sink-hole city.

"We should split up," Buffy was saying, looking over the hologram critically. "I'll take some troops down to the lower levels to mop up, while you and Cody take the rest to the upper levels and begin clearing them out."

"Without leadership, the droid resistance will fall apart quickly," Cody added. Obi-Wan nodded his ascent.

"Alright then, let's get to work. And Buffy," he said, looking at his fellow Jedi, "be careful."

Buffy smirked, but inside she really appreciated the gesture. "Hey, it's me!" she exclaimed. Turning around, she motioned for the ARC troopers to follow her. Obi-Wan just rolled his eyes and then turned and headed up to the upper levels with the rest of the clones.

* * *

**Jedi Temple, Coruscant

* * *

**

Anakin hurried through the main hanger to where Mace Windu waited with fellow Masters Kit Fisto, Agen Kolar, and Saesee Tiin by a Republic Gunship.

"Master Windu, I must talk to you," Anakin said urgently. Mace looked at him inquisitively.

"What is it, Skywalker? We are on our way to make sure the Chancellor returns emergency powers back to the Senate."

"He won't give up his power," Anakin replied in a low voice. "I've just learned a terrible truth. I think Chancellor Palpatine is a Sith Lord."

Mace was stunned. "A Sith Lord?"

Anakin nodded. "Yes. The one we have been looking for."

"How do you know this?"

"He knows the ways of the Force," the younger Jedi replied. "He has been trained to use the dark side."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

Mace sighed. "Then our worst fears have been realized. We must move quickly if the Jedi Order is to survive."

"Master, the Chancellor is very powerful. You will need my help if you are going to arrest him."

Mace put a hand on Anakin's shoulder. "He may be powerful, Anakin, but I need you to remain here to look after the others. He has been your friend for many years and I sense some confusion in you as a result. Anakin, you have gained my trust these past few days, but I don't want to put you in the situation of possibly having to fight your friend. Do you understand?"

Anakin sighed, but bowed his head in compliance. "I do, Master. I may not be fond of your decision, but I understand the reason behind it."

"While we are gone, I want you to secure the Temple," Mace continued. "And prepare the younglings for evacuation just in case Traya decides to pay another visit. After that, wait for us in the Council Chamber until we return."

"Yes, Master," Anakin replied in resignation. "Good luck and may the Force be with you."

* * *

**Utapau

* * *

**

Buffy silently led her troops down through the lower levels of the sink-hole city, quietly hunting the droids that remained. The ARC troopers kept their guns in a ready position, while Buffy held a lightsaber in each hand, deactivated but ready to go at a moment's notice.

"Commander," one of the troops said to Buffy, "I'm reading a large group of droids ahead. What are your orders?"

"_Initiate Order 66."_

_Images flashed rapidly in Buffy's mind - Master Secura, shot in the back repeatedly on Felucia;_

_Ki-Adi-Mundi, leading a charge before his clones turned on him and shot him down;_

_Plo Koon being shot down over Cato Neimoidia by his own troops;_

_Stass Allie being killed while riding ehr speeder bike with the Clones on Saleucami;_

_Anakin kneeling before a scared and deformed Palpatine with Darth Traya standing behind him…_

"_Now, go to the Jedi Temple. We will catch them off balance. Do what must be done, Lord Vader. Do not hesitate. Show no mercy."_

_Hundreds of Clone Troopers marched up the steps to the Jedi Temple led by a sinister looking Anakin and Darth Traya - both of whom had onyx-black eyes._

"_It's so good to be back," Traya snarled as her lightsaber flashed, taking off the head of youngling…_

_Anakin entered the Council chambers and a group of younglings came out of hiding from behind the chairs._

"_Master Skywalker, there are too many of them. What are we going to do?"_

_There was a flash of a lightsaber activating as Anakin looked up with those cold, empty eyes…_

And then she was back.

"Sir? What are your orders?" the Clone Trooper asked again. Her Clone Troopers. Her _loyal_ Clone Trooper.

But loyal to whom?

"Take your squad ahead, Trooper," Buffy replied finally, shaking herself from her reverie. "I'm going to take this corridor around to see if I can outflank them."

The Clone nodded and then turned back to his troops. "Alright boys, let's take 'em out." The Clone Troopers all voiced their readiness, then positioned themselves into a standard two-by-two formation and moved in. Buffy watched them engage the droids and then silently, swiftly, moved back into the shadows of an access tunnel she had spotted across from the corridor. Away from the Clones, away from the battle - and away from certain death.

Now she just had to make sure that others would do the same.

* * *

**Coruscant

* * *

**

Mace and his three fellow Masters walked through the Chancellor's abandoned office towards the antechamber where Mace had sensed the Chancellor presence.

"Master Windu!" the Chancellor exclaimed good-naturedly as the four Jedi entered the office. "I must say that you are here sooner than expected."

The four Jedi drew their lightsabers and ignited their blades. "In the name of the Galactic Senate of the Republic, I am placing you under arrest, Chancellor."

"Are you threatening me, Mater Jedi?" Palpatine responded coldly. Mace's eyes narrowed.

"The Senate will decide your fate."

"I _am_ the Senate!"

"Not yet!"

Palpatine slowly stood up, his elegantly designed lightsaber snapping to his hand from under his sleeve. He smiled wickedly at the Jedi. "It's treason, then…"

Palpatine lunged over his desk, the crimson blade of his lightsaber spinning wildly as he attacked the Jedi. His first thrust impaled Saesee Tiin, killing him instantly. Sidious quickly extracted his saber and swung it around, slicing cleanly through Agen Kolar and impacting on Kit Fisto's green blade. The three exchanged a fierce volley of blows until finally Sidious slipped past Kit's defenses and struck him, killing him instantly.

And then there were two.

* * *

"Zett!" 

"Yes, Master Skywalker?"

Anakin hurriedly strode up to the young Jedi Padawan. "Zett, gather as many of the younglings and as many of the able Padawans as you can find and take them to a safe place. One friendly to Jedi."

"A place safer than the temple?" Zett asked incredulously. Anakin placed a hand on the young Padawan's shoulder.

"The Masters have found the Dark Lord of the Sith, Zett. And it's the Chancellor. If they fail to bring him to justice, this temple will not be safe. Do you understand?"

Zett swallowed nervously, the enormity of what Anakin had just told him settling down in the pit of his stomach. "I understand."

"And what will you be doing, Skywalker?" Halcyon said as he approached. "I though Master Windu put you in charge of this operation."

"You and Zett can gather the younglings, Hal," Anakin replied. "But whether he admits it or not, Master Windu needs me there tonight."

"You're going to have to explain to the Council why you disobeyed your orders, though. Think about that."

"I'm already going to have to explain why I got married, Hal. So I hardly think that disobeying orders is going to be a problem."

The stunned silence in the hall let Anakin know that everyone had heard what he had said. Halcyon looked at Anakin in disbelief, before resignation sunk in. "You know what you have just done, right?"

Anakin raised his chin in defiance. "I did exactly what I was going to do at the end of this war, Master. I'll accept my punishment when I return. For now, though, Master Windu needs me." And with that, Anakin turned and walked out of the temple.

* * *

Mace Windu was perturbed. 

His fight against Palpatine was going well. Too well, in his opinion. Because for a Sith who had easily dispatched three of the most powerful Jedi Masters in less than a minute, he sure was having a hard time beating Mace. Part of Mace felt that because his own fighting style bordered so closely to the Dark Side, it gave him the edge he needed to defeat the Dark Lord. But another part was wondering…

Where was Darth Traya?

The two fought their way up to the grand window behind the Chancellor's desk that overlooked Coruscant, and soon their blades shattered that window. Thw howling wind drowned out almost all sound as their blades crashed together, again and again. Mace forced Sidious' blade up, then kicked up hard with his left foot, catching the Sith under the jaw. The slow sent him sprawling to the ground as he lost his grip on his lightsaber, which hurtled out of the window. Sidious scrambled back on the ledge until he reached the end of the window, his back pressed against the wall as Mace's purple blade pointed at his throat.

"You are under arrest, _My Lord_," Mace spat at Sidious. The Sith looked over to the door and Saw Anakin standing there having arrived in time to see the end of the fight. Sidious desperately tried one last time to tempt Anakin. "Anakin! I told you it would come to this. I was right. The Jedi are taking over!"

"You old fool. The oppression of the Sith will never return. Your plot to regain control of the Republic is over . . . you have lost!"

Palpatine shook his head. "No! No! You have lost!" he screamed as he stretched out his hands. Blue Force lightening lashes out from his fingertips at Mace, who managed to block it with the blade of his lightsaber. Mace struggled to position his blade to reflect the energy back at the Sith Lord, which he finally did. The lightening struck Palpatine's face, warping and scarring it.

"You must help me, Anakin!" he screamed. You must stop this treason!"

Anakin looked at the man who had been his friend for so many years sadly. "This isn't treason, your Excellency. This is justice."

"Really, Anakin. Justice is overrated."

Anakin's eyes widened as Darth Traya's voice sounded from behind him. In an instant, he had drawn his lightsaber and spun around, igniting the blade…

But Traya caught his saber hand in a steely grip, forcing the blade away from her. "Vengeance, on the other hand…" She suddenly reached up and put her other hand on Anakin's face and purple energy seemed to pour out of her fingers and into the Jedi's head. Anakin screamed, the pain he was feeling was almost nothing compared to the feeling of his will being beaten down, subjugated and buried under the dark magics the witch was pouring into him.

Palpatine snarled and suddenly let loose with the full power of the dark side, effortlessly beating away Mace's blade and sending the lightsaber flying from his hands to the far corner of his office. The dark energy enveloped the Master, sending him into convulsions as he slowly burned to death from the inside out…

And as Traya finished her spell on Anakin, sending the younger man to his knees, Palpatine gave one last push with his Force lightening and sent Mace Windu, one of the greatest Jedi's and a Master on the Jedi Council, out the window and to his death.

* * *

Buffy silently made her way through the catacombs of the city. Arriving in a darkened room, Buffy sat down on the floor and reached out through the Force, looking for her friends. 

She felt Nejaa Halcyon, worried and anxious about something…

She felt Zett Jukassa, worried but determined…

She felt Aayla Secura, cautious but calm…

She felt Master Yoda, anxious…

She felt Obi-Wan, determined...

She tried to reach out to Master Windu… but all she felt was an absence in the Force and in an instant she knew he was dead. She tried to reach her brother - but felt a hole in the Force. Not the same as with Mace but something that had seemingly removed his presence from the Force and replaced it with something else. Reaching out around the hole, she felt another familiar presence - Darth Traya. Buffy sighed… her worst vision was coming true.

Knowing time was of the essence, she concentrated on her friends, urgently sending a warning to her friends through the Force telling them to get away from the clones and proceed to the sanctuary. After a few moments, she rose and pulled out her communicator.

"Arfour, initiate Cooper…"

* * *

In orbit around Utapau, a single ARC-170 fighter sat idle between two large Victory-class star destroyers, manned by a lone arfour unit. When the com unit suddenly came to life and transmitted the code 'Cooper', though, Arfour powered the vessel and stated evasive maneuvers. The clone troopers on the assault ships looked on in confusion as the starfighter suddenly dived into the atmosphere… 

And then disappeared.

* * *

With a triumphant roar, Willow pulled her hands from Anakin's head and stepped backwards, a sated look on her face. "That felt good," she breathed, "almost better than sex even." The wicked grin turned to astonishment as she took in Palpatine's new appearance. "My Lord, are you alright?" 

"And so the mask becomes the man," he sighed with a hint of philosophical melancholy. "I shall miss the face of Palpatine, I think. But for our purpose, the face of Sidious will serve. Yes, it will serve."

"I guess galactic domination doesn't require a pretty face," Traya said fairly and then smirked. "But it helps. Right, Ani?"

Anakin looked up at Traya - with jet-black eyes. "Yes, my Master."

Sidious looked over Anakin critically as he got to his feet, striding closer to Traya's newest creation. "Did it work? Is he loyal?"

Traya let out a sharp laugh. "Oh, he is completely loyal," Traya replied, amused. "To the Sith. And the best part is, the longer he is under my spell, the less it will be needed. He needs only to be immersed in the Dark Side for a short time before he won't want to live without it."

"Excellent!" Sidious exclaimed, looking down at the young Jedi. "Well, now we must give you a name worthy of the Sith you will become. From this day forth, you will be know as Darth…Vader."

"Yes, my Lord," Vader responded tonelessly.

"Rise."

Darth Vader Rose and joined Darth Traya in front of the Chancellor's desk. Sidious sat down behind the desk and casually crossed his legs.

"Everything is proceeding as planned. Next, we must fully indoctrinate our new Lord Vader into the world of the Sith." Sidious turned to Vader. "Now, go to the Jedi Temple. We will catch them off balance. Do what must be done, Lord Vader. Do not hesitate. Show no mercy."

"Yes, my Master," Vader replied.

"What of the Jedi scattered across the galaxy, my Lord?" Traya asked. "How will you deal with them?"

Sidious grinned evilly. "Have no fear, Lord Traya. I have plans in place for them as well. Now go, and wipe them out." His eyes narrowed at his two apprentices. "_All_ of them." The two bowed in subservience. "Oh, and Darth Traya?" Palpatine added, gesturing to the far side of the room and calling Mace's lightsaber from where it hgad been thrown to him. He then handed it over to his apprentice. "Do see that you put this to good use, will you?"

Traya smiled wickedly. "Yes, My Lord." she replied, then turned and walked out of the room with Darth Vader right behind her. Sidious waited a moment and then activated his com unit.

"Commander Cody?"

"Yes, my Lord?" the Clone Commander on the other end responded.

"Execute Order 66…"

**_TBC_**


	11. Chapter 10: Fall of the Jedi Part 2

**A/N:** Since I ALWAYS forget to do this, I would just like to point out that I own nothing, except a small portion of the plot. And I want to thank my two wonderful Betas, Winterd and Fallenstar2, for ALL of their help.**

* * *

Episode 3 Chapter 10**

**Fall of the Jedi (Part 2)**

**

* * *

**  
"Serra!" Cin Drallig called out to his star pupil as he hastily made his way through the temple. The young woman stopped and turned to face her Master.

"Yes, Master?"

"Zett Jukassa is gathering a group of younglings. Go find him and assist him…" he trailed off as he heard a rumbling sound. "Do you hear that?"

"Sounds like thunder," Serra replied. "Perhaps the weather generators are still damaged from the attack?"

Drallig shook his head, a flicker of worry marring his features. "That's not thunder. Those are footsteps. Quickly, Serra!" he said urgently, drawing his saber. "Help Zett! Get as many younglings as you can out! Go!" With that, he raced to the front doors of the temple. What he saw chilled him to the bone.

Thousands of Clone Troopers marched up the Temple stairs led by Darth Traya…

… and Anakin Skywalker.

"Honey, we're home!" Traya sang as she danced up the stairs. She stopped in mock surprise. "Why, it's Master Drallig! Hi, Master Drallig!"

"You will pass no further, Sith!" Drallig growled. "Anakin, what are you doing?"

"My duty to my Master," Vader responded tonelessly, activating his saber. Traya pulled out hers - and Mace's - and activated them both. Drallig's breath hitched at the sight of the purple blade and Traya, recognizing his look, smiled broadly. "Recognize it? _My_ Master gave it to me after he took your vaunted Master out. Let's see how good it is." And then she attacked.

Cin Drallig was considered one of the best swordsmen in the Jedi Order, behind only Mace and Yoda. He had taught countless Jedi how to effectively wield their lightsabers, and in one-on-one duels, he was rarely beaten.

But against the combined fury of Darth Vader and athletic prowess of Darth Traya, he was no match.

Blinded by Traya's powerful will-be-done spell, Vader rushed in, powering though Drallig's skillful defense while Traya moved in close and went for his legs. Drallig put up a valiant defense, but in the end three sabers were better than one and Traya scored a hit, slicing through the Jedi's Achilles' tendon. The sudden pain dropped the Jedi to his knees and Vader sliced Drallig's lightsaber in two. Vader then stood back as Traya laid her crimson lightsaber across Drallig's left shoulder, then crossed Mace's purple saber over his right shoulder, trapping the Jedi Master's head between.

"You…won't win," Drallig gasped out, staring at the two Sith defiantly. Traya only chuckled.

"You know, Mace said something similar…" she started, then in one swift stroke, drew the purple blade across the crimson, slicing the Jedi Master's head clean off. "Of course, I just used his lightsaber to kill you, so you can see how well that thought served him…" Traya turned to the Clone Troopers. "Go!" she ordered "Leave none alive. Lord Vader," she turned to the former Jedi at her side, "you're with me. What do you say we go say… hi… to some friends?"

The two Sith stalked into the temple, backed up by the Clone Troopers. The Clones immediately fanned out and began hunting through the temple, shooting any Jedi they found. Traya and Vader, meanwhile, found themselves confronted with Jocasta Nu.

"Stop! By order of the Jedi Counsel, you are not permitted in here, Sith!" she declared, activating her saber. Traya just looked over to Anakin with a bored expression.

"You know, I really hate librarians," she stated dryly. Vader looked back at Jocasta and raised his hand, picking the elderly Jedi up in a choke with the Force. Then with a thought, he brought her forward - and impaled her on his lightsaber. In an instant she was dead and he carelessly flicked his wrist once more, sending the former archivist flying over the balcony and to the floor, several stories below.

"The Council is no longer in command here," Vader remarked coldly. He then turned back to Traya. "Shall we find some more old friends?"

"Traya!"

"Oh and here's one now…"

The two turned to see Nejaa Halcyon stalking towards them. Nejaa stopped suddenly when he saw Anakin standing next to his sworn enemy. "Anakin?"

"Look, Vader! It's your old friend, Hal. Go say hi!"

Vader strode up to a bewildered Halcyon and then quickly swung his blade at the Jedi's head. Halcyon quickly brought up his blade to block. "Anakin! What are you doing?"

"I don't know who you're talking about," Vader ground out, slashing and thrusting his blade at Halcyon. He forced the Jedi's blade away with a powerful swing, But Halcyon spun around and brought his blade down, blocking Vader's blow to his midsection. The two continued to slash and parry, with Halcyon desperately trying to hold his own against the younger and faster Vader.

"Anakin, fight this! This isn't you… you wouldn't turn your back on the Jedi!" Halcyon cried out desperately, panting from the effort of holding the new Sith back. Vader laughed outright.

"That's where you're wrong, old friend." Suddenly, he lashed out with his boot, catching Halcyon under the chin and staggering the Jedi. Swiftly moving in, he spun his blade around Halcyon's driving down then up, slicing off his saber hand. As Halcyon screamed in pain, Vader deftly swung around and sliced off Halcyon's legs at the knees, causing him to fall onto his back, screaming in agony.

"Pick him up," Traya said coldly, stepping forward with a hungered look in her eyes. Vader complied, using the Force to bring the screaming man back up to eye level. Traya grinned coldly at him. "Like my new boy toy?" she asked. "He's so compliant. He does whatever I tell him to do and tells me whatever I want to know. And he's told me so many wonderful secrets. Like your wife and son…" Halcyon's eye's widened in shock. "Oh yes, I know all about them. And I just want you to know before we kill you that I intend to make sure they join you in the afterlife. It may take awhile, though… I intend for their deaths to be slow and drawn out…"

Halcyon's pain gave way to rage as he took in her words. "You _bitch_!" he spat. "I'll kill you! I'll _fucking kill you!_"

Traya laughed at his outburst. "Really, Master Halcyon. Such anger? And from a Jedi?" she turned her black gaze to Vader. Her voice deepened as her boredom grew. "Kill him."

Vader nodded and tossed the still-screaming Nejaa Halcyon over the balcony and to the floor below. He then commandeered one of the Clone Troopers grenades and tossed it down after the Jedi where, after a moment, it exploded.

"I always thought he had an explosive temper," Vader quipped and then seeing the expression on Traya's face, he frowned, "What?"

"You hung around Buffy far too much," she remarked. "Let's go."

* * *

The attack was swift and merciless. It was all Serra Keto could do to keep the younglings she and Zett had gathered out of the hands of the bloodthirsty Sith and their troopers. Zett had sacrificed himself leading a pack of troopers away from Serra and the kids - the thought of which brought tears to her eyes. She hastily wiped them away as she led a small group of younglings through the Council Chambers towards the larger group she had hidden away in one of the Temple's secret rooms. She stopped dead as the door on the far side opened to reveal Anakin Skywalker. 

_Or is it Darth Vader now?_ She asked herself, remembering what she had witnessed when he had cut down the three Jedi Masters in the great hall. Instantly, she ignited both of her green sabers and brought them up into a defensive position.

"Well, well…. If it isn't Serra Keto, Cin Drallig's favorite pupil…" Vader trailed off momentarily, looking from the young Jedi Padawan to the Younglings she protected. None of them appeared to be over the age of six.

"I will fight you, Anakin," Sere said with a steely tone. "I won't let you hurt anyone else."

Vader started to step forward and then suddenly stopped. Serra watched in confusion as Vader closed his eyes, seemingly fighting something within himself. After a moment, his eyes opened - revealing the soft hazel eyes of Anakin Skywalker.

"Take them out of here, Serra!" he gasped out, a pleading tone evident in his voice. Serra lowered her sabers slightly and stepped forward.

"Anakin?"

There's…no time!" he gasped out. "I can't….keep…fighting her! You must… take the younglings…get them ….someplace safe…hurry!"

After a moment's hesitation, Serra switched off her sabers and hooked them on her belt, then gathered up the Younglings and ushered them out of the room. She risked one last glance back at Anakin, and saw him trembling; still obviously fighting for control. "Good luck, Master Skywalker," she whispered, running out of the room and closing the door.

* * *

Zett quietly made his way through the decimated temple towards one of the outlaying landing pads. Strategically placed, the landing pads housed several short-range ships for travel through the city that could be accessed without going to the main hanger. _If I can get into one of the ships, _he thought, _I just may make it out of here…_

When a squad of Clones had approached Zett, Serra and the Younglings, he had taken it upon himself to draw them away from his young charges, even if it had meant his life. So he had led them on a wild chase through the Temple, which was a labyrinth if one didn't know their way around. He had eventually lost them and then doubled back towards the nearest landing platform.

"What's going on here?" A voice demanded from out on the platform.

"There's been a rebellion. Don't worry sir, the situation is under control."

_A rebellion! You attack and kill us for no reason and it's a rebellion!_

"I'm sorry sir. It's time for you to go."

Zett risked a glance out at the platform, and saw none other than Senator Bail Organa standing beside his speeder, with about twelve Clone Troopers pointing their blasters at them. _Only twelve of them…and Senator Organa has always been a friend of the Jedi…_His mind made up, he leapt through the doorway, igniting his blue blade.

Senator Bail Organa watched in stunned horror as a young Jedi - Zett Jukassa, he believed - jumped out of the doorway and ignited his lightsaber. He managed to take down the first six with ease due to the surprise of his attack and was rapidly turning back blaster bolts to their owners when six more troopers came in behind him. He turned to face them, his blade up and blocking bolt after bolt, until finally one slipped past his guard and hit his shoulder, spinning the young boy around and sending him sprawling.

"NO!" Bail screamed and, in an instant, he had made a decision he had been struggling with ever since he had landed. Should he help them or just walk away?

With no hesitation, Bail drew his pistol and blasted two of the Clones before they knew what was going on. As they turned their fire towards him, Bail dived forward and grabbed up one of the fallen clone's blasters and opened fire with it as well, spraying blaster blots down the slim corridor. In only a few moments all of the remaining clone troopers were dead. Quickly he moved to the young Jedi and knelt by his side.

"Padawan, are you alright?"

"No revolt….attacked us… no warning… help…" Zett trailed off as he finally passed out from the pain. Even so, Bail put a comforting hand on the young boy's shoulder.

"Do not fear, Padawan. I will help you," he said quietly. He picked up Zett's fallen lightsaber and hooked it back on his belt, then picked the boy up and hurriedly placed him into his speeder. He jumped into the driver's side and powered up the craft, taking off into the dark, smoke filled night. As he moved back into the traffic lanes, he punched a few commands into his communications console.

"Captain Antilles," he stated as soon as the connection to his ship had been made.

"Yes, Senator?" the captain replied.

"Prepare my ship for immediate take-off. I want to leave as soon as I arrive. And prep the med bay - I have an injured…friend… with me."

"As you command, Senator. May I ask of our destination?"

Bail was silent for a moment. "I'm not sure."

* * *

**Utapau**

**

* * *

**

Buffy was bored.

She had been waiting on a seemingly empty landing platform deep inside the sinkhole for what seemed to her like hours. She was tempted to just leave - she knew that there was an abandoned ship on the next platform up - but she also knew that if she did, Obi-Wan would never let her hear the end of it. So she sat and waited until finally the sound of soggy footsteps caught her ear.

"It's about time," she said, a small bit of sarcasm finding its way into her voice. Obi-Wan just looked back wit a wry expression.

"Terribly sorry, Master Skywalker," he replied. "But I was a bit busy being blown up by my Clone Troops."

"Should have paid attention to my warning," she pointed out snidely, pushing herself off of the wall.

"At the time, I was a bit busy fighting a battle!"

"Well, you had better hope that others were paying attention, otherwise we're going to be a bit lonely." Buffy rose and stretched, working the kinks out of her joints. "What do you say we blow this joint?"

Obi-Wan arched an eyebrow. "And how would you propose we do that? And what is going on! Why did the clones attack?"

"One thing at a time, Master Kenobi," Buffy replied calmly. "First, we get off of this rock. Then, we head back to Coruscant. I can't feel Anakin anymore and I feel something bad has happened…" she trailed off, pushing her despair down deep inside of herself and then turned back to the empty air at the end of the platform. "Arfour, de-cloak the Prometheus."

The air on the platform seemed to shimmer and took shape as Buffy's ARC fighter took shape in front of Obi-Wan's unbelieving eyes. "I didn't think that was possible…"

"Cloaking small ships is easy, despite what some people may think," Buffy remarked, climbing into the ship. Obi-Wan hastily followed. "It was one of Jacen's cleverer ideas. He took out all of the rear gunnery machines and installed the cloaking generator in its place. It was a tight fit, but it worked."

"Is there anything he wasn't able to do?" Obi-Wan asked conversationally as he took the seat next to her.

"Not much," she remarked, shrugging.

"And I take it this has something to do with that 'Cooper' command you gave Arfour when we landed?" Obi-Wan gently prodded. Buffy nodded.

"On Earth, there was this guy - D.B. Cooper. He hijacked a plane and managed to collect a heck of a ransom for the passengers. After he landed and got his money, he let almost everyone of the passengers off except for the flight crew and had them take off again. As the plane was in flight, he opened the rear hatch and jumped, parachuting away."

"He escaped?"

"That's just it - nobody knows. Most everybody thinks he's dead these days - they found some of the money, buried beside the river he jumped over - but they never found the body. He just disappeared into the unknown, never to be seen again."

Obi-Wan let out a small chuckle as he realized the parallel. "Just like us."

"Exactly," Buffy replied, sealing the hatch and turning the cloak back on. She deftly powered up the engines and took off, her cloak allowing then to effortlessly pass the incoming Clone drop ships, as well as the Star Destroyers in orbit.

"And what of the Clones, Buffy? What did you see?"

Buffy blew out the breath she hadn't known she was holding. "The Clones were given an executive order. I don't know what the order entailed in full, but I do know it involved the death of every single Jedi alive."

"But an executive order could only come from…"

"The Supreme Chancellor, I know," Buffy replied, suddenly weary. "Now we know why I never liked that bastard. He is the Sith Lord we've all been looking for. Supreme Chancellor Palpatine is Darth Sidious." A sudden beeping noise drew her attention. "We've got a message on the Emergency channel."

"Let's hear it," Obi-Wan said. Buffy nodded and flicked a switch and suddenly Senator Organa's holographic form lit up on the holo-receiver.

'_To any and all Jedi, if you are receiving this message, please respond. I repeat, this is Senator Bail Organa on secured channel 7 - To any and all Jedi, if you are receiving this message, please respond…'_

Buffy hit the reply button on her com system. "We're reading you, Senator. This is Master Skywalker… I'm with Master Kenobi. What are you doing on this frequency?"

'_Master Skywalker, thank the Force I've found you,' _Bail responded, relief evident in his voice._ 'The Clones have turned against Jedi EVERYWHERE. From what intel I've managed to gather, Master Plo Koon was killed on Cato Neimoidia ; Stass Allie on Saleucami; Ki-Adi-Mundi on Mygeeto…the list goes on. The Temple was attacked and almost everyone inside was killed.'_

Obi-Wan sat back heavily in his chair as Buffy bowed her head in grief. "Were there any survivors?"

Bail's holographic form nodded. _'I managed to save a young Padawan at the temple - Zett Jukassa. He was injured, but he's healing fast in the med bay as we speak. I've also collected Masters Yoda and Secura.'_

"All right Senator. We'll rendezvous at your location. Skywalker out." Buffy cut the com system and set the coordinates to Bail's ship in her hyperdrive. "Preparing to engage hyperdrive."

"Buffy," Obi-Wan suddenly said, trying to find some way to distract him form the news he had just learned. "There was one other thing you didn't tell me."

"Oh? And what was that?" Buffy asked.

"Why did you name your ship 'Prometheus'?"

Buffy chuckled. "On Earth, Prometheus was the wisest Titan. His name means 'forethought' and he was able to foretell the future. Prometheus is known as the protector and benefactor of man." She paused in her explanation. "Of course, he was also chained to a rock and a giant bird ate his liver everyday for eternity, so maybe it wasn't the wisest choice for a name…" And on that, the Prometheus entered hyperspace.

* * *

Padmé hadn't slept well last night. 

Despite Threepio's assurances to the contrary, she couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible had happened to her husband. Oddly enough, those feelings weren't alleviated when she spied a small Jedi transport dock at her personal platform. Padmé rushed out to the veranda in time to see her husband climb out of the small ship.

"Anakin!" she exclaimed, running up to him and wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. "I was so worried. I saw the smoke and thought something had…" her voice trailed off as she looked up into his jet-black eyes

"Happened?" Vader finished with an amused tone. "Oh, sweetie, you have no idea what has happened."

"Anakin, your eyes…"

"Do you like them?" a voice asked. Padmé's eyes widened as she looked past her husband to the figure that stood behind him.

"You!"

"Hello, Sis," Traya smirked, walking up besides Vader and snaking an arm around his neck. "Like the change?"

"What have you done to him?" Padmé breathed. Traya smiled evilly.

"Nothing much. Just made him more…compliant, to our Master's desires. And he's been _very _compliant…"

"Let him go!"

"But Padmé, this is so much fun!" Vader smirked. His wife gaped at him and he scoffed. "Oh really, Padmé. Sometimes you can be so naïve. Darth Traya has liberated me; liberated us! We don't have to keep our marriage secret anymore! We're free!"

"No we're not!" Padmé exclaimed. "And you're nothing more than a slave to her!"

Vader's face darkened. "I would watch your tone, dear wife…"

"Lord Vader!" Traya interrupted sharply. "Mind the ship. My sister and I have business to attend to."

Vader nodded in compliance. "Yes, my Master." He turned and headed back to the ship.

Traya then slithered up to her sister, offering her a veined hand. "Come Padmé, we have much to talk about…"

* * *

The Prometheus shot through space towards Bail Organa's star cruiser, arcing gracefully underneath it before coming to a stop underneath the ships small docking bay. The doors above Buffy's ship opened and Buffy gently brought the ship into the bay and sat it down as the doors closed once again. Once the bay was pressurized, the Jedi popped the hatched and waved to the senator and the diminutive Jedi Master that stood at the door to greet them. 

"Honey, were home!" she exclaimed tiredly as she hopped out of the cockpit, Obi-Wan right behind her. "How many did you get?"

"No more, have we found." Yoda replied. Bail nodded in sad agreement.

"It appears this ambush has happened everywhere. No Jedi were spared."

"What of the younglings at the Temple?" Obi-Wan asked. "Surely not all of them have been killed?"

"Before he fell unconscious," Bail explained, "Padawan Jukassa told me that he sent a group of Younglings and Padawans into hiding with Serra Keto. Where they are, though, he would only tell one of the Masters."

"Will Zett be okay?" Buffy asked. Yoda nodded.

"Good care, has the Senator given him. Well, he soon will be. However, more pressing concern there is."

"What?"

"Received a coded retreat message from the temple beacon, we have," Yoda said.

"It tells all surviving Jedi that the war is over, and to return to the Temple," Bail explained.

"Trap," Buffy remarked, folding her arms and leaning back against the bulkhead.

"Indeed, but it gives us an excuse to go back," Obi-Wan remarked. "We must disable the homing beacon or any surviving Jedi that didn't hear your cry of alarm through the Force could fall into the trap and be killed."

"Plus, we can find out what our enemy's plans are," Buffy finished. "Get some more information."

"Agreed, we are." Yoda said. "Back to Coruscant, we must go. Tell the Captain, I will."

The three Jedi started to move off; But Bail put a hand on Buffy's shoulder. "A word, Master Jedi?"

Buffy looked inquisitively at the Senator, but nodded to her companions. "I'll be along in a minute." She remarked and then as they moved off turned back to the Senator. "What is it, Bail?"

Bail took a deep breath as he prepared to deliver the bad news. "Before Zett passed into unconsciousness, he told me about the attack on the Temple. He said that, while he didn't see the beginning, Serra witnessed the Clones being led into the Temple by Darth Traya…and Anakin Skywalker."

Buffy looked at the Senator in shock and then shook her head in denial. "No…no, he wouldn't have…"

"Buffy, he killed Jocasta Nu and Nejaa Halcyon. He's turned to the Dark Side."

* * *

**TBC**

Next Chapter - a return to the temple, a revelation, Buffy returns home and all parties meet back where it all began -

Mustafar.


	12. Chapter 11: Back to the Begining

**A/N:** Vader's rampage and the Senate Session were taken from Mathew Stover's novelization from 'Revenge of the Sith'

* * *

**Episode 3 Chapter 11**

**Back to the Beginning

* * *

**

**Mustafar

* * *

**

On the volcanic planet in the Outer Rim, Nute Gunray stood with the other Separatist leaders, watching holographic updates of several battles when suddenly one was interrupted by the holographic form of Darth Sidious.

"The plan has gone as you had promised, my Lord," Gunray informed the Sith Lord. Sidious smiled cruelly.

"You have done well, Viceroy. When my new apprentice, Darth Vader, arrives, he will take care of you." The hologram disappeared and the Separatists went back to watching the battles unfold.

* * *

**Coruscant

* * *

**

Buffy was silent for the rest of the voyage back to Coruscant. Despite what Bail had told her, she refused to believe that Anakin would give into the Dark Side. She had spoken with Zett personally when he awoke, but he hadn't actually seen her brother. Nobody here had seen her brother, let alone see him do anything. And until she saw proof, she wouldn't believe what they said. So she sat in the cockpit of the star cruiser, silent and brooding.

"Approaching Coruscant," Captain Antilles announced. "Sir, we're receiving a message from the Chancellor's office."

"Send it through," Bail said, leaning forward towards the screen and effectively blocking out the Jedi seated behind him as Mas Amedda appeared on the screen.

"Senator Organa . . . the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic requests your presence at a special session of Congress," the aide said. Bail nodded once in compliance.

"Tell the Chancellor I will be there," Bail replied.

"Very well. He will be expecting you," Amedda responded and then the connection was cut. Bail sat back and looked to the three Jedi sitting behind him. "It could be a trap."

"Doubt it," Buffy said. Obi-Wan nodded in agreement.

"I agree," he said. "The Chancellor will not be able to control the thousands of star systems without keeping the Senate intact."

"If a special session of Congress there is," Yoda interrupted, "easier for us to enter the Jedi Temple it will be."

"And find out the truth of the matter," Buffy remarked softly.

* * *

**Mustafar

* * *

**

Vader and Traya's small Sith craft landed on a small landing platform next to the Mustafar control center. Vader powered down the craft and rose but stopped when Traya remained in her seat. "Are you not coming?"

"No, Lord Vader. I'm not," Traya said, gazing up at the new Sith Lord. "This task is for you and you alone. Do us proud."

Vader bowed his head. "Yes, my Master," he replied, exiting the ship. Traya sat back and sighed in satisfaction. Everything was going according to plan.

Nute Gunray was quietly watching the battle progress on Cato Neimoidia when the door to the facility cycled open. He and the rest of his collaborators turned to face the stranger that entered. He was a tall cloaked figure, slim in build but broad shouldered, with a face shadowed by a heavy hood. San Hill beat the others to the greeting. "Welcome, Lord Vader!" His elongated legs almost tangled with each other in his rush to shake the hand of the Sith Lord. "On behalf of the lead­ership of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, let me be the first to—"

"Very well. You will be the first," Vader said as he stepped inside and made a gesture with a black-gloved hand. Blast doors slammed across every exit. The control panel exploded in a shower of sparking wires. Vader then threw back his hood, revealing his grinning face tot the Separatists, who recoiled in shock. San Hill had time to gasp, "You're—you're _Anakin Skywalker!" _before a fountain of blue-white plasma burned into his chest, curving through a loop that charred all three of his hearts. The Separatist leadership watched in frozen horror as the corpse of the head of the InterGalactic Banking Clan collapsed like a de-powered protocol droid.

"The resemblance," Darth Vader said, "is deceptive." Then he attacked.

The bunker was armed with dozens of combat droids, armed guards and defensive systems designed by the greatest minds of the Separatists.

None of them made a difference for the Sith had come to Mustafar.

Poggle the Lesser, Archduke of Geonosis, scrambled like an animal through a litter of severed arms and legs and heads, both metal and flesh, whimpering, fluttering his ancient gauzy wings until a bar of lightning flash-burned his own head free of his neck.

Shu Mai, president and CEO of the Commerce Guild, looked up from her knees, hands clasped before her, tears streaming down her shriveled cheeks. "We were promised a _re­ward," _she gasped. "A h—h—_handsome _reward—"

"I am your reward," Vader replied innocently. "You don't find me handsome?"

_"Please!" _she screeched through her sobbing. _"Pleee_—The blue-white blade cut into and out from her skull, and her corpse swayed. A negligent flip of the wrist slashed through her column of neck rings. Her brain-burned head tumbled to the floor. The only sound, then, was a panicky stutter of footfalls as Wat Tambor and the two Neimoidians scampered along a hall­way toward a nearby conference room. Vader was in no hurry to pursue, however. The control center was sealed, the blast doors closed and locked. Vader glanced around the dead control room once more, his once solid-black eyes now tinged with red.

And deep inside, the man once called Anakin Skywalker screamed in anguish, fighting with all he had to get free.

* * *

**Coruscant - Senate

* * *

**

Bail slipped into the rear of the Naboo delegation's Senate pod as Palpatine thundered from the podium, "These Jedi mur­derers left me _scarred, _left me _deformed, _but they could not scar my _integrity! _They could not deform my _resolve! _The remaining traitors will be hunted down, rooted out wherever they may hide, and brought to justice, dead or alive! All collaborators will suffer the same fate. Those who protect the enemy _are _the enemy! Now is the time! Now we will strike back! Now we will _destroy _the _destroyers! Death to the enemies of democracy!"_

The Senate roared.

Amidala didn't even glance at Bail as he slid into a seat beside her. On the opposite side, Representative Binks nodded at him but said nothing, blinking solemnly. Bail frowned; if even the ir­repressible Jar Jar was worried, this looked to be even worse than he'd expected. And he had expected it to be very, very bad.

He touched Amidala's arm softly. "It's all a lie. You know that, don't you?"

She stared frozenly toward the podium. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. "Where have you been?"

"I was... held up." As she once had told him, some things were better left unsaid.

"He's been presenting evidence all afternoon," she said in a flat, affectless monotone. "Not just the assassination attempt. The Jedi were about to overthrow the Senate."

"It's a lie," he said again.

"I know. My sister told me all about it."

Bail looked at her in shock at that revelation. Meanwhile in the center of the Grand Convocation Chamber, Palpatine leaned upon the Chancellor's Podium as though he drew strength from the Great Seal on its front. "This has been the most trying of times, but we have passed the test. The war is _over!_"

The Senate roared.

"The Separatists have been utterly defeated and the _Repub­lic will stand! _United! United and _free!_"

The Senate roared.

"The Jedi Rebellion was our final test—it was the last gasp of the forces of darkness! Now we have left that darkness behind us forever, and a new day has begun! It is _morning _in the Republic!"

The Senate roared.

Padmé stared without blinking. "Here it comes," she said numbly.

Bail shook his head. "Here what comes?"

"You'll see."

"Never again will we be divided! Never again will sector turn against sector, planet turn against planet, _sibling _turn against _sib­ling. _We are one nation, _indivisible!"_

The Senate roared.

"To ensure that we will always stand together, that we will always speak with a single voice and act with a single hand, the Republic must change. We must _evolve. _We must strive. We have become an empire in fact; let us become an Empire in name as well! We _are _the first _Galactic Empire!"_

The Senate went wild.

"What are they doing?" Bail said. "Do they understand what they're _cheering for?"_

Padmé shook her head, remembering a poem Buffy had told her once. "Remember, remember, the fifth of November…"

"We are an Empire," Palpatine went on, "that will continue to be ruled by this august body! We are an Empire that will never return to the political maneuvering and corruption that have wounded us so deeply; we are an Empire that will be directed by a _single _sovereign, chosen for _life!"_

The Senate went wilder.

"We are an Empire ruled by the _majority! _An Empire ruled by a new Constitution! An Empire _of laws, _not of politicians! An Empire devoted to the preservation of a just society. Of a _safe _and _secure _society! We are an Empire that will _stand ten thousand years!"_

The roar of the Senate took on a continuous boiling roll like the inside of a permanent thunderstorm.

"We will celebrate the anniversary of this day as _Empire Day. _For the sake of our _children. _For our children's children! For the next ten thousand years! Safety! Security! Justice and peace!"

The Senate went berserk.

"Say it with me! Safety, security, justice and peace! Safety, security, justice and peace!"

The Senate took up the chant, louder and louder until it seemed the whole galaxy roared along.

Bail couldn't hear Padmé over the din, but he could read her lips.

_So this is how liberty dies, _she was saying to herself, _with cheer­ing, and applause._

"We can't let this happen!" Bail lurched to his feet. "I have to get to my pod—we can still enter a motion—"

"No." Her hand seized his arm with astonishing strength, and for the first time since he'd arrived, she looked straight into his eyes. "No, Bail, you can't enter a motion. You _can't. _Fang Zar has already been arrested and Tundra Dowmeia and it won't be long until the entire Delegation of the Two Thousand are declared enemies of the state. You stayed off that list for good reason; don't add your name by what you do today."

"But I can't just stand by and _watch_—"

"You're right. You can't just watch. You have to vote _for _him."

"What?"

"Bail, it's the only way. It's the only hope you have of re­maining in a position to do _anyone _any good. Vote for Palpatine. Vote for the Empire. Make Mon Mothma vote for him, too. Be good little Senators. Mind your manners and keep your heads down. And keep doing... all those things we can't talk about. All those things I can't know. _Promise _me, Bail."

"Padmé, what you're talking about—what we're _not _talking about—it could take _twenty years! _Are you under suspicion? What are you going to do?"

"Don't worry about me," she said distantly. "I don't know if I'll live that long."

* * *

**Mustafar

* * *

**

Darth Vader left nothing living behind when he walked from the main room of the control center. Casually, carelessly, he strolled along the hallway, scoring the durasteel wall with the tip of his blade, enjoying the sizzle of dis­integrating metal as he had savored the smoke of charred alien flesh. The conference room door was closed. A barrier so paltry would be an insult to the blade; a black-gloved hand made a fist. The door crumpled and fell.

The Sith Lord stepped over it. The conference room was walled with transparisteel. Be­yond, obsidian mountains rained fire upon the land. Rivers of lava embraced the settlement. And inside the room, Rune Haako, aide and confidential secretary to the viceroy of the Trade Federation, tripped over a chair as he stumbled back. He fell to the floor, shaking like a grub in a frying pan, trying to scrabble beneath the table.

"Stop!" he cried. "Enough! We _surrender, _do you under­stand? You can't just _kill _us—"

Vader smiled. "Can't I?"

"We're unarmed! We surrender! Please—please, you're a _Jedi!"_

"You fought a war to destroy the Jedi." Vader stood above the shivering Neimoidian, smiling down upon him, then fed him half a meter of plasma. "Congratulations on your success."

The Sith Lord stepped over Haako's corpse to where Wat Tambor clawed uselessly at the transparisteel wall with his ar­mored gauntlets. The head of the Techno Union turned at his approach, cringing, arms lifted to shield his faceplate from the flames in the dragon's eyes. "Please, I'll give you _anything. Any­thing you want!"_

The blade flashed twice; Tambor's arms fell to the floor, followed by his head. "Thank you." Darth Vader turned to the last living leader of the Confederacy of Independent Systems.

Nute Gunray, viceroy of the Trade Federation, the man who had hired bounty hunters to kill his wife, stood trem­bling in an alcove, blood-tinged tears streaming down his green-mottled cheeks. "The war...," he whimpered. "The war is _over_—Lord Sidious _promised_—he promised we would be left in _peace..._"

"His transmission was garbled." The blade came up and both halves of Nute Gunray fell down. "He promised you would be left in _pieces.''

* * *

_

**Coruscant, Jedi Temple

* * *

**

While the Senate was busy giving away their right, a small company of Clone Troopers stood guard over the decimated Jedi Temple. They had been chosen for this task because they were the best and the brightest of the 501st, the most elite company in the new Empire, and therefore most qualified to take down any returning Jedi.

Of course, they hadn't counted on three returning at once. Nor had they counted that the three would be the best swordsmen in the Order.

Or that one of the said Jedi was a pissed-off Slayer.

Buffy mowed through the Clones, her rage barely held in check as her two blades weaved a scene of destruction between them. Obi-Wan calmly turned back multiple deflector bolts to their senders, even as eh cut down the troops close to him. Buffy blocked a bolt and severed the head of the one who had sent it in time to see Yoda hurl his lightsaber like a spear into a Clone, then leap onto the clone's chest to pull it out in time to take down another. Within a few minutes, all the clones guarding the temple were dead.

"That's the last of them out here," Buffy remarked, switching off her sabers. Yoda and Obi-Wan followed suit.

"There's sure to be more inside," Obi-Wan pointed out.

"Careful, we must be, if undetected we are to remain."

"Amen, Yoda," Buffy murmured, stalking towards to loading bay doors. "Let's go."

The three made their way into the decimated temple, but were stopped short by what they saw.

Bodies.

Hundreds of bodies.

None were spared. Man or woman or child - all had fallen at the hands of the clones and their leaders. Buffy spied a corpse and gasped in shock.

"Master Drallig!" she breathed as she took in his dismembered body. Obi-Wan sighed sadly.

"There can be no doubt now," he said. "This was caused by a lightsaber. Many of those killed were killed by a lightsaber. Too many for just one…"

"To the beacon, we must continue," Yoda said after a moment. Obi-Wan nodded.

"We can reach it through the Archives."

"Then let's go."

The three Jedi skulked in the shadows, avoiding the patrols of Clone troopers as they made their way deep into the temple towards the archives. When they finally reached them, they were devastated by what they saw.

The archives, the great hall of knowledge of the Jedi, were in ruins.

"Sithspawn!" Obi-Wan exclaimed. "All of our history…all of the knowledge…"

"It's not all gone, Ben," Buffy said. "But we don't have time to worry about this. Get to the beacon."

"And where are you going?" Obi-Wan asked as Buffy started moving off. Buffy stopped and turned her head to look behind her.

"To the security recordings. I need to see it…" With that, Buffy moved off into the archives towards the security station. Once she reached it, she turned on the live holo-feed, only to see Palpatine declare the institution to his new empire. Buffy watched the feed with narrowed eyes. "I should have killed you a long time ago, Sidious," she whispered. "And I promise I'll see you dead before this is over." Turning her back to the screen, she moved over to the security station and switched on the security holo-vids. She flipped through them for a few moments before she found the one she wanted the most - and the least.

Anakin fought with Cin Drallig. After only a few moments he moved on to Jocasta Nu, and finally Nejaa Halcyon. She paused the recording as Anakin lifted up Halcyon, holding him suspended with the Force. She studied the face of her brother intently, noting the emotionless expression, the tension in his jaw, his eyes -

His eyes -

And then Buffy, Jedi Master and Vampire Slayer, began to laugh.

* * *

"There," Obi-Wan said as he finished reprogramming the signal beacon. "I've reprogrammed it to warn all remaining Jedi to stay away."

"Good . . . For the Clones to discover the recalibration, a long time it will take," Yoda said. "To change it back, longer still. Now leave we must, before discovered we are."

The two Jedi headed back into the archives, were the sound of laughter greeted them. They gave each other a worried look and then headed towards the security station. Upon entering it, they saw Buffy doubled over in laughter.

"She's gone mad," Obi-Wan said. Buffy finally managed to get herself under control, and then looked up at her friend.

"This isn't madness, Ben," she explained. "This is relief. Look at the recording and tell me what you see."

Obi-Wan moved over to the station and studied the figure before him. "He looks emotionless, not so much filled with hatred than filled with…apathy."

"Look at the eyes, Obi-Wan. Look at the eyes."

Obi-Wan stared closer at the image. Anakin's eyes were…

"They appear to be a solid color," he said in disbelief. "But that's not possible."

Buffy smiled and leaned back against the wall. "Back in Sunnydale, when Willow would do magic, sometimes her eyes would become solid black. When I thought about it, I figured they became black because the magical energy she channeled on the Hellmouth was inherently dark. Now, when I saw the recording and saw Anakin's eyes, it hit me - they're black. Which means that Traya put Anakin under some kind of spell - probably a variation of the will-be-done spell Willow used once. Which means there's still hope for him."

"What do you mean?"

"If I can stop Traya in time, Anakin can still be saved!" she explained. "But it has to be done soon. She's forcing him to tap into the Dark Side. And the longer he's under, the harder it will be to come back."

"Destroy the Sith, we must," Yoda declared. He looked at the screen behind Buffy that still played highlights from Palpatine's speech. "Handle Darth Sidious I will. Buffy, find and defeat Darth Traya you must."

"Agreed. Obi-Wan, you have to find Anakin. Stop him, but don't kill him. He's innocent in this."

"But I don't know where to look!" Obi-Wan exclaimed. "Where would I even start?"

Buffy looked at the Jedi Master for a moment, then finally spoke. "You can start with his wife."

After a moment, Obi-Wan finally responded with a phrase he had learned long ago from Buffy.

"Bloody hell!"

"Yeah. I think you know where she lives." Buffy said as she moved to leave. Obi-Wan put a hand on her arm to stop her.

"And where will you go?" he asked her. Buffy smiled grimly.

"Back to the beginning."

* * *

It didn't take the three Jedi long to find a way out of the temple. Yoda stowed away on a Clone supply ship that was headed towards the Senate Building. Buffy took a more visual route, fighting her way through the halls of the temple until she reached the main hanger - and the Millennium Falcon, which blasted its way out of yet another enemy hot spot. Obi-Wan, meanwhile, used Buffy's antics as a diversion to secure a small speeder, which he then flew with reckless abandon to Senator Amidala's private apartment. Docking the small craft next to the veranda, Obi-Wan made his way inside, where he found Padmé staring forlornly out her window towards the Senate building.

"I knew you'd come, Obi-Wan," she said without looking at him. "Somehow, I knew that even my sister couldn't manage to kill you. Tell me, is Buffy alive as well?"

"Yes."

"You must tell her that Anakin is innocent, Obi-Wan. It's not his fault…"

"I know, Padmé," Obi-Wan interrupted, moving to stand next to the fragile Senator. "Buffy figured it out. And now I need your help. I need to find Anakin and stop him."

Padmé suddenly turned to Obi-Wan with fear in her eyes. "You mean to kill him, don't you?"

"No!" the Jedi quickly said. "I mean to stop him, so Buffy can stop Traya! She's the key to all of this!"

"I know," Padmé said sadly. At Obi-Wan's questioning look, she elaborated. "They paid me a visit this morning."

_FLASH_

"_Come Padmé, we have much to talk about."_

_Padmé broke free of Traya's arm. "I have nothing to talk about with you!" she spat. Traya looked hurt._

"_Really, Padmé! You shouldn't say such things! It isn't healthy-" her tone turned deadly, "for you or the baby."_

_Padmé's breath hitched at the implied threat. After a moment, she finally spoke. "What do you want?"_

"_It's quite simple, really," Traya said jovially. "Our dear Emperor is about to consolidate his power and eliminate his enemies. That means there will be two thousand less Senators in the coming week. What I'm offering you here is a chance to make it one thousand nine hundred and ninety nine."_

"_What do you mean?" Padmé ground out, trying to control her temper for her baby's sake._

"_What I mean is that you join with us, Padmé," Traya explained. "Palpatine thinks he's in power, but he's nothing more than a puppet. _My_ puppet. He'll set everything up, then Lord Vader and I will take him out and take his place."_

_Padmé stared at the woman she had once considered her dearest confidant and sister. "My god…"_

_Traya chuckled. "Lady Traya will do." Her tone turned serious once more. "You are a powerful senator, well liked and respected. With you backing us, no one could stand in our way! We could turn this galaxy into a paradise!"_

"_You have to be kidding me!" Padmé exclaimed. "Why would I help you?"_

"_Maybe to get your husband back?" she said silkily, sidling up next to her. "I can do it, you know. Cancel the spell in a heartbeat. And with you beside me, he'd follow along, no problem. However, if you refuse - well, I was upset that Count Dooku had plotted to have you killed before but I've had three years to get over those feelings. You don't play ball, and I will kill yo u- starting with your child." Traya held her hands out to either side. "The lord giveth, the lord can taketh away." Traya stepped back and let the threat sink in. "Of course, I don't need an answer right away. Lord Vader and I need to see to the Separatist Leaders that are hiding on Mustafar. When we come back in a day or so, then you can give us your answer."_

_FLASH_

"They've gone to Mustafar, Obi-Wan. They're probably still there."

Obi-Wan frowned. "And I don't know exactly where Buffy was headed. She could be anywhere."

Padmé took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. "There's nothing to it, then. We'll go to Mustafar."

"Padmé!" Obi-Wan explained. "I don't think that would be such a good idea…"

"I will never join Darth Traya, Master Kenobi," Padmé said resolutely. "If I am to be a dead woman then I will die trying to reach my husband. My ship is standing by, Master Kenobi. And that is the only way you will be able to leave this planet."

Obi-Wan looked at the young Senator for a few moments before sighing in defeat. "Very well. Let's go."

* * *

**Tatooine **

* * *

Owen Lars was working on one of the more stubborn moisture vaporators when the dust suddenly started blowing around him. "What the devil!" he exclaimed as he scrambled to his feet in time to see the large, saucer-like ship settle down next to his farm. Owen rushed over to the ship, an angry scowl on his face. As the ramp started to lower, he started to scream, "Who in the hell do you think…"

Buffy smiled as her stepbrother trailed off. "Hey Owen. Mom around?"

"Hey, mom."

"Buffy!" Shim cried happily, wrapping her arms around her surrogate daughter. "It's so wonderful to see you."

"You too, mom," Buffy replied, returning the hug. "I only wish it was under better circumstances."

"What is it?" Shim asked, confused. Buffy took a deep breath and plunged in.

"Mom, Anakin's in trouble," she said. "I need to know if Willow has been here recently. I know you feel you owe her," she added quickly, "but it's important that I find her."

Shmi shook her head in confusion. "Buffy, I haven't seen Willow since she saved my life."

Buffy blew out a breath in frustration. "How about around town? Have you seen her in Mos Eisley? Or Mos Espa?"

"No, Buffy," Owen said, taking a glass of Blue milk offered by Beru, who then gave a glass to Buffy and Shmi. "We haven't seen her here at all."

"I don't get it!" Buffy growled, slamming her fist on the table in frustration. "Traya said I'd find her back where it all began. Everything began here! This is where we found each other. This is where we set off with the Jedi from…"

"But that isn't where it began, is it?" Beru asked. "I mean, you both ended up here, but you came to this galaxy somewhere else, right?"

_FLASH_

_Buffy stood on the top of the tower in Sunnydale, telling Dawn to live. She turned and ran down the platform and took a swan dive into still-forming portal. Meanwhile on the ground, a strand of energy reached out and struck Willow, who pushed Tara away before it could strike her._

_They appeared over a volcanic landscape, tumbling down 15 feet until they impacted the rocky, ash-covered landscape next to a river of lava…_

_FLASH_

"A land of ash…lava…" Buffy said quietly to herself and then she looked up to Clieg. "Do you have a computer with access to a planetary database?"

"Sure," Cleig said, a bit confused. "Sure… I had it installed after Owen was born, for his education. It's in the den…"

Buffy shot up out of her chair and into the den. She turned on the learning computer and brought up the search database.

"Let's see… volcanic, mostly uninhabited…" she rapidly typed into the computer. After a moment, a single name popped up, and after 13 years Buffy finally was able to place a name to her hell.

"Mustafar…"

**TBC**


	13. Chapter 12: Battle of the Heroes Part 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. Nor do I own the song 'Battle of the Heroes', which cna be found on my Yahoo group right now. Nope. Don't own them at all.**

**A/N: My thanks to my betas Fallenstar2 and Winterd.

* * *

Episode 3 Chapter 12**

**Battle of the Heroes

* * *

**

**Mustafar

* * *

**

"Well done, Lord Vader," Darth Traya said as she kicked over the corpse of Nute Gunray with the edge of her boot. "I see he got your point."

"And it only took thirteen years," Vader quipped. A beeping sound alerted the Sith Lords to the incoming holo-message from Darth Sidious and Traya immediately answered the call.

"The Separatists are taken care of, my Master," Darth Vader said, bowing his head in respect. Sidious nodded.

"It is finished, then," he said. "You have both restored peace and justice to the galaxy. You have done well, Lord Vader, Lord Traya"

"Thank you, my Master," Traya replied with a small smile.

"Send a message to the ships of the Trade Federation," The Sith Lord instructed. "Tell them the Separatist leaders have been wiped out. Grievous and Dooku have been destroyed. All droid units must shut down immediately."

"Very good, my Lord," Darth Vader replied, switching off the holo-transmission. Traya moved over the communication's platform, entered the shut-down code and sent it. Soon, all of the other holographic displays showed Droid troops grinding to a halt. Traya smiled and looked back at her partner.

"To coin a phrase, 'the galaxy is ours'."

Another beeping sound interrupted Traya and the Sith turned to the monitor to see a ship coming in for a landing.

"It's Padmé," Vader said softly. Traya's eyes narrowed.

"Then she's made her choice. Let's go."

* * *

**Senator Amidala's Star Cruiser, Mustafar

* * *

**

"Mistress Padmé, Master Kenobi, we are coming in for a landing," Threepio said from his seat behind the controls. "I would suggest you strap yourselves in, as I am still new at this flying business."

"You're doing a fine job, Threepio," Padmé said as the droid gently brought the ship in for landing next to the Sith's vessel. "He's here. And so is Darth Traya."

"Listen to me, Padmé," Obi-Wan implored. "Let me deal with Darth Traya. Try your best to get through to Anakin, but if you can't, get away."

"I won't run!"

"We don't know how long or how deep Anakin has been steeped in the Dark Side, Padmé!" Obi-Wan exclaimed. "As much as I hate to say it, it may not be possible to get through to him, at least until Darth Traya has been taken care of." The ship touched down, and the two looked out from the cockpit towards the command center where two figures hurried towards the ship. "Promise me you'll be careful."

Padmé huffed and got out of her seat. "I'm a dead woman, Obi-Wan. I have nothing left to lose." Padmé strode quickly out of the cockpit towards the exit ramp. Obi-Wan sighed, and rose to follow her.

"Sister!" Traya exclaimed happily as Padmé emerged from the ship. "And the ever stoic Obi-Wan Kenobi! My, aren't you hard to kill?"

"Darth Traya, always a pleasure," Obi-Wan replied sarcastically, Padmé ignored her sister totally, her eyes fixed on her husband's face.

"Anakin, listen to me, please! Fight her, for us!"

"And what 'us' is there, Padmé? Why would I want to be with you, when you would bring _him_ here to kill us?" Vader's tone was taunting. Traya's obsidian eyes dancing as she gazed at the sappy Padmé and her newest creation.

"Him?" Padmé looked back confused at Obi-Wan and then suddenly realized what Vader was thinking. "I didn't bring him here to kill you, Anakin! I brought him here to help you!"

"Let him go, Traya!" Obi-Wan demanded. The Sith looked innocently back at him.

"What makes you think I haven't already?"

"I refuse to believe the man I married would willing submit to this life!" Padmé shouted back, turning to glare at Traya.

"And why wouldn't I, Padmé?" Darth Vader asked. "I have power, I have respect. I have brought security and peace to our new empire."

"Your new Empire? Listen to yourself! You can't mean this!"

"I can and I do," Vader shot back, stepping towards her threateningly. "Now, my Master gave you a choice - stand with us or die. Which is it?"

Padmé sighed sadly. "You know I could never stand with you like this."

Vader eyes narrowed dangerously. "Then you've chosen death." The Sith reached out with his hand and squeezed his fingers together and suddenly Padmé found her throat constricting.

Obi-Wan stepped towards Vader. "Enough! This ends now!" He felt as though he needed to do something, but was vastly outnumbered against the strength of both Vader and Traya. "Let her go… you'll kill your child!"

Traya laughed. "And do you think you can take on the both of us alone?"

Tray's laughter was cut off when Darth Vader was suddenly flung away from Padmé and into the side of the Senator's Star Cruiser. As Padmè sunk to the ground unconscious, Traya spun around and ignited her crimson blade as another figure stepped out of the shadows.

"Who said he was alone?" Buffy asked.

* * *

**Coruscant

* * *

**

The Chancellor's Red Guards were the elite guards of the Senate. Like the Swiss Guards of Earth, the Red Guards (formerly the blue guards) were selected after a lengthy weeding out process, and then put through years of training that would make the hardest Marine weep. They were the preeminent guards of the Senate and no one in history had ever gotten past them.

Sidious sat behind his desk under the Senate Rotunda, Mas Amedda right behind. A light tapping sound got their attention, and they looked up to the doorway -

To see the diminutive Master Yoda enter the room. At once, the Red guards moved to intercept the Jedi Master -

And with a wave of his hand, both were slammed against the wall behind them with bone crunching force, instantly rendering them unconscious. Yoda stopped and leaned forward on his cane, looking at the Sith Master.

"I hear a new apprentice, you have, Emperor, or should I call you Darth Sidious."

"Master Yoda, you survived," Darth Sidious replied dryly, hardly surprised

"Surprised?"

"Your arrogance blinds you, Master Yoda," Darth Sidious growled. "Now you will experience the full power of the dark side."

The Dark Lord raised his arms and suddenly let loose with a blast of blue lightening. It struck Yoda before he could act, hurtling the Jedi Master across the room until he impacted with the far wall and slid down into a crumpled heap. As Mas Amedda left, the only sound was Darth Sidious' dark laughter.

* * *

**Mustafar **

**

* * *

**

Darth Vader scowled at his sister as he stood up. Darth Traya merely smiled and clasped her empty hand over her heart. "Micro-brain! Growl for me, show me you still care!"

Buffy smirked at her former best friend and, never taking her eyes off of Traya, addressed her brother. "Ani, go and play with Obi-Wan. We girls need to have a little chat."

"Yes, Lord Vader," Traya agreed. "Go kill your friend. Then you can join me in killing your sister."

Obi-Wan instantly ignited his blade. And he brought it up to defend himself. "I think you'll find, Vader, that I am not that easy to kill."

"No," Vader agreed, igniting his blade, "You'll be easier." Darth Vader leapt at Obi-Wan, his blade flashing and Obi-Wan immediately moved to block. Soon the two former friends were going full tilt; their blades moving faster than any normal eyes could follow.

Traya watched the show before turning back to Buffy. "So…here we are." Traya pulled out Mace's lightsaber and ignited the purple blade, showing it to Buffy. "Do you like it? My Master gave it to me after he killed your old Master. It's only fitting that I cut you down with it."

Buffy narrowed her eyes at her former friend. "Are we really gonna do this?" Buffy asked. Traya chuckled.

"Still don't want to take me on, Buffy? Still want to hold back?"

"I'd rather not have to kill you, Traya," Buffy replied steadily, "I'd like to believe there's a little bit of Willow left somewhere in there."

"Oh come on, Buffy! Face the fact that Willow is dead and good riddance!" Traya spat. "Willow was weak and pathetic and allowed others to use her for their own benefit. She was glad when I came to power! And now I'm going to show you what that power can do."

"You won't win, Traya," Buffy stated simply. Traya sneered.

"Oh, I will win, Buffy. This is a huge deal for me! All those years as a side man, and now I get to be the Slayer."

"A killer isn't a Slayer. Being a Slayer; being a _Jedi,_ means something you can't conceive of."

Traya sighed in annoyance. "Oh, Buffy. You really need to have every square inch of your ass kicked."

Buffy ignited both of her blades, curling one up over her head and bringing the other down to her side. "Then show me what you got. And I'll show you what a Slayer really is."

And then Traya attacked.

* * *

**Yoda

* * *

**

Sidious cackled as he approached the unconscious Yoda. "I have waited a long time for this moment, my little green friend," he said. Yoda struggled to his feet, facing off against the Sith Lord, who glared back. "At last, the Jedi are no more," he added in a smug tone.

"Not if anything to say about it, I have!" Yoda shot back, thrusting his tiny hand out and using the Force to throw Sidious back across the room and over his desk.

"At an end your rule is," Yoda said, motioning Sidious to come to him, "And not short enough it was."

Sidious snarled and leapt through the air, his cloak billowing out around him. He landed right at the exit - only to have Yoda land right in front of him. "If so powerful you are," Yoda asked, drawing his lightsaber and igniting it, "Why leave?"

"You will not stop me. Darth Vader will become more powerful than either of us," Sidious exclaimed, igniting his own crimson blade. "And if he fails…" A truly evil smile lit his face now. "Darth Traya will still remain."

"Faith in your new apprentices, misplaced may be, as is your faith in the dark side of the Force."

And with that, the two Masters - one Jedi and one Sith, faced off in their ultimate battle.

* * *

**Obi-Wan

* * *

**

The battle was fast and furious. Vader may have been younger and more powerful, but Obi-Wan had experience under his belt - as well as having the advantage of having taught Anakin everything he knew.

They traded blows, blocking and thrusting, stabbing and parrying. Vader kicked Obi-Wan, causing him to fly back towards the control room and he used the Force to land on his feet. Vader moved in and pressed his attack, his blue blade flashing. Obi-Wan blocked his blade and lashed out with his right hand, snapping back Vader's jaw.

"You're stronger than her, Anakin!" Obi-Wan pleaded as he was forced by Vader down the hall into the control room. "Fight her!"

"You know, I already had a nagging wife," Vader growled, swiping his sword down and barely missing Obi-Wan, cutting into one of the holo-tables instead. "I really don't need another one."

Vader lunged at Obi-Wan, who spun around out of the way and brought his blade back to bear. The two spun their blades at each other, each looking for a hit, but each knowing each other so well that they were able to avoid each other. Finally Obi-Wan managed to lock his blade with Vader's, then reached out with the Force to hurl the Sith away. At the same moment Vader did the same and for a few moments it was a battle of wills, each calling upon the Force against each other -

Until finally the power between them seemed to explode, blasting the two away from each other. Vader recovered quickly, picking himself up from the console he had landed on and hurtling himself across the room towards his former Master. Vader brought his blade down and Obi-Wan just managed to move so the blade sliced through the control panel instead. As the two continued to fight, neither noticed the panel Darth Vader had just destroyed controlled the force fields that protected the outer areas of the center.

* * *

**Buffy

* * *

**

Buffy and Traya moved along the outskirts of the facility, sticking to the hard, ashen ground, their four blades moving faster than the normal eye could follow. Traya attacked viciously, pushing Buffy farther down the steep embankment towards the river of lava below. Buffy continued to block, desperately searching for an opening. She brought her silver blade down at Traya's head, but the Sith brought both of hers up and trapping Buffy's between her blades. Buffy swung around and batted the lightsaber blades away with her green blade, forcing Traya off balance for a moment. Buffy took the opportunity to Force-leap onto a small bridge that was suspended over the river. She stood at the ready as Traya leapt up after her.

"Going so soon, old friend?"

"Nah, just wanted a better view," Buffy replied sarcastically.

"You're getting slow in your old age," Traya mocked, moving lightly on the balls of her feet. Buffy kept up her guard.

"And you sure like to tal-" Buffy was cut off by the sound of a blaring siren. "What the hell…" she breathed as she watched the blue glow of the Force field around the bridge fail - just as a large wave of lava bore down on the bridge. "You have got to be kidding me!"

The two leapt backwards as the lava washed over the bridge. Traya thrust out her hand. "_Congelo_!" she yelled, and instantly the lava turned to ice. Billows of steam thrust into the air, obscuring Traya's vision. Suddenly Buffy came thrusting at her, sliding through the steam across the already melting ice. Traya batted away the silver blade and swung for Buffy's head, but the Slayer was too quick and rolled under, coming up to her feet and instantly running for the end of the bridge as it collapsed behind her. Traya cursed and ran after her quarry, determined to put an end to her once and for all.

* * *

**Yoda**

* * *

Yoda was not having a good day. 

The biggest asset Yoda had in a fight was his ability to move around rapidly and attack from many different angles almost at once. Sidious had nullified that advantage almost at once when he fled into the Chancellor's podium and raised it into the massive senate chamber. As a result, Yoda was confined to only a spare few feet to maneuver. A lucky shot finally gave him the break he had been looking for and caused the Sith Lord to jump off of the podium to one of the senate pods.

And then he started flinging the pods _at_ Yoda.

Of course, his speed and agility, bolstered by the Force, proved to be a lifesaver as he leapt from pod to pod, avoiding the deadly projectiles that the Dark Lord flung at him. He finally managed to turn the tide when he used his mastery of the Force to send a pod crashing back at Sidious, who leapt to a lower pod to avoid it. Yoda jumped up to meet him, his lightsaber ignited -

And was met by a powerful blast of Force lightening, which knocked his lightsaber out of his hand. Yoda called upon the Force once more, using its power to block the brute force of the lightening. Sidious leaned forward, pouring everything he had into the lightening; all while Yoda called upon his inner reserves to block it. Finally, after what seemed to Yoda to be an eternity the energy back lashed, sending both Force wielders over the edge to the floor far below.

Yoda bounced off of a couple of downed pods and landed on the floor in a heap. Sidious landed a bit more gracefully, calling upon the Force to land on his feet.

"You are beaten, Jedi," the Dark Lord rasped as Yoda struggled to his feet. "Your powers are weakened, your Order destroyed. And there is no one left to come to your aid."

And suddenly Darth Sidious was thrown across the floor, knocking into a fallen pod and collapsing in a heap. "You really shouldn't tempt fate, your Highness." Yoda's eyes widened in shock as a figure stepped out of the shadows of the Senate.

"For fate has a way of coming back to bite you in the ass as a friend would probably say." Qui-Gon Jinn said, a small smile on his face.

* * *

**Obi****-Wan

* * *

**

Obi-Wan was nearly spent. Vader was half his age with double his strength. But the Jedi Master could feel the conflict in his former student; could feel Anakin rearing his head trying to break through Darth Traya's control. But the spell was ultimately too strong and Anakin just wasn't experience in throwing off the kind of mental intrusion Traya had put upon him. And Obi-Wan had come to the sad realization that ultimately, he may have to kill Vader to save Anakin.

So Obi-Wan stood on the small platform as it flowed over the river of lava, looking over at Darth Vader as he approached on the top of a small lava-collecting droid. Darth Vader looked back at his former Master, a cold look on his face.

Obi-Wan stared at his former apprentice for a moment before he began to see something… there was more emotion in Anakin now. He was gaining strength through the use of the Dark Side. Traya's plot to turn him over without having to use her dark magic on him was almost complete.

Which meant that he was still faced with the realization that Vader had to die to save his brother…

"This is the end for you, my Master," he said coldly. Obi-Wan sighed.

"I don't want to, but I will destroy you if I must."

"You will try," Vader snarled and then leapt over Obi-Wan and onto the platform, where they dueled once more…

* * *

**Buffy

* * *

**

Buffy was getting tired. She had made it to the far shore as the bridge had collapsed and turned just in time to hold off another vicious attack from Darth Traya that had managed to knock Qui-Gon's lightsaber from her hand. She had ducked the next attack and lashed out with her foot, knocking Mace's purple blade from her hand. Now both with only single blades, the two launched a flurry of offensive and defensive moves at each other, only backing off as they both ran out of breath.

As Buffy turned back, wielding her blade over her shoulder, her chest rising and falling with her shortened breath, she watched as Willow leapt into view. Her movements were almost cat-like as she slid foot-over-foot, almost like a dance. Her crimson blade was held to her side in a more formal style.

And the one thing Buffy could barely register through the entire fight was that it had finally come down to this. She had loved Willow like a sister… she had been her closest friend. For years they had looked after each other.

But this wasn't Willow, not anymore. This was a darker version of her best friend, one that was too far involved with the Magics. Even if she didn't want to admit it, she knew that Willow could never come back. And Buffy was going to have to kill the woman she once considered her closest friend.

She thought about Jacen and her dead children; she thought about Traya's hold over her brother whom Buffy spent so much time and energy to protect from the Dark Lord's control only to have Traya trounce her _again_. And then she remembered the look on Neeja's face as Traya told Anakin to kill him.

Biting back a cry of rage, Buffy sped forward, her arms twisting and turning, pushing Traya to the defensive. Each thrust was built out of her rage. She felt the darkness starting to slip in, but fought against it. This had nothing to do with revenge; this was about preserving what little of the Jedi Order remained.

Finally, Traya caught the tip of Buffy's mechanical arm and kicked it, sending Buffy sprawling towards the river of lava that bubbled below. As she did, Traya slipped behind her. Glancing up, she smiled.

"Recognize our old stomping grounds?" she asked, gesturing to the ash covered ground and the small outcroppings of igneous rock. "I guess you wouldn't, seeing as you spent most of your time here locked in a box. This, old friend," she made a sweeping gesture with her hands, "is where we were held by the Slavers. Back to the beginning, indeed."

"Or arriving at the end," Buffy remarked, raising her blade in a salute. "Come on, Traya. Give us a kiss."

Traya was the one to bite this time. Buffy simply used her Slayer abilities to kick the Sith away from her before swirling her lightsaber back to her. The ashen landscape looked almost foreign to her, and yet it seemed right that this was where she could potentially make her last stand.

Traya leapt with the grace of the Force, landing straight in front of Buffy. Again they began their duet, spinning, twisting and snarling their way across the ashen landscape.

Panting, they pulled away, the tips of their lightsabers clashing with a slight hiss. Buffy walked below, stepping carefully over the uneven ground. "Do you really think you're ready for this?" she asked steadily, watching as Traya flashed her that cruel, demented smile that Buffy found almost relieving. It would be far better to kill Traya as long as she acted like her and didn't look like the one Buffy used to know.

"Do you really think I'm afraid of you?" Traya mocked instead, pushing her lips into a full pout. She then changed her voice into something both otherworldly and screechy. "Mom, Ani, waaah."

Buffy pushed forward her attack, more to shut her up than anything. But this time, she worked in her attack, trying to force Traya to put her blade in the sweetest little spot… when Traya's wrists finally twisted into the perfect position, Buffy brought her blade up and slammed it down as far as it could go.

Nothing happened and Traya grinned.

"Come now, Buffy. You didn't expect me to not prepare for that old trick, did you?" she asked mockingly, before releasing one hand from her lightsaber and pointing it at Buffy, letting loose with a blast of Force lightening.

It caught Buffy in the chest and blew her back twenty feet, where she landed on her back writhing in pain. She couldn't help screaming as she felt as though her very blood was boiling within her skin.

"That's right, Buffy! Feel the burn!" Traya shouted with malice as Buffy convulsed on the ground. After a few moments, Traya relented her attack and Buffy rolled over onto her stomach, groaning in pain.

Traya smiled in triumph as she circled her former friend, her lightsaber glowing and ready to strike. "How did you think this was going to go, Buffy? You'd defeat me, maybe even bring back Willow? That Anakin would snap out of my spell and beg for forgiveness? Please. You were never going to defeat me. I will kill you here and then go on to kill Palpatine and rule over this Empire, remaking it in _my _image. Why?" Traya smiled wickedly as she stepped around Buffy's moaning form. "Because I have the power to do so. Because I have power that no one could ever dream of! And because there's no one in this galaxy with the power to stop me now…"

Traya was cut short by a burst of green energy that struck her in the chest and sent her flying into an outcropping of rock, where landed in a heap at the base of it. She looked up expecting to find another Jedi to take care of…but what she saw shocked her to her core.

Buffy looked at Traya's shocked face, then followed her line of sight - and gasped in shock.

For at the top of a small incline Rupert Giles stood, his arm outstretched, his glasses missing, his eyes boring directly into Darth Traya's

"I'd like to test that theory."

* * *

** WTF!**

**Errr... **

**TBC...**


	14. Chapter 13: London Calling

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot, which is now almost entirely mine.**

**Special thanks to my betas Winterd and Fallenstar2 for all of their help and support.

* * *

**

**Episode 3 Chapter 13**

**London Calling

* * *

**

_Cuz we came here to set this party off  
Right - let's bounce tonight  
And if they don't let us in through the front  
We'll come through the side  
Cuz I don't ever wanna leave again  
Without - at least saying goodbye  
So All my people on the left, all my people on the right  
Swing one last time_

Rupert Giles rubbed his forehead, wishing away the headache that had plagued him since earlier that afternoon when the Slayers returned from their training with Faith.

"What is that ghastly noise they're playing?" Giles asked brusquely to Xander, who was lounging on the couch across from his desk.

"It's called music, Giles," Xander deadpanned without looking at him. "You know… music? Has a beat, usually played loud, girls like to dance to it?"

"I know music, Xander," Giles retorted, "and that ruckus, shouted by some bloke who named himself after a chocolate candy is most certainly _not_ music. Now Led Zeppelin, the Who, the Rolling Stones… _that's _music."

"The Rolling Stones are zombies."

"The Stones are _not_ zombies!" Giles protested.

"Oh, please!" Xander shot back. "Any band that's toured that long can't be normal. I'd say vampires, but they've been seen in daylight…"

Giles shook his head and tuned the younger man out as he looked down onto his desk at the report a young Slayer named Belle had delivered this morning. Finding it impossible to concentrate, Giles sat back and reflected on the past three years.

* * *

Life had been hard after Buffy and Willow's apparent deaths. Tara, whose mind had only just been recovered mere minutes before, was left heartbroken at the loss of her girlfriend. And Dawn, whose father was no where to be found, was left an orphan. Tara's situation was helped by Anya of all people, who became Tara's closest friend and confidant next to Dawn. As for Dawn, the Watcher's Council finally did something right by the Summers' family and pulled some strings, giving custody of Dawn over to Giles. 

The first few months were the hardest for all of them. While Xander and Anya helped Tara work through her grief, Giles became the father that Dawn had always wanted. Tara moved in to the Summers' residence on Revello Drive and the two grieving women spent their time talking with each other working though their grief.

It was two months after the incident at the tower when the Council arrived once more - with Faith, recently released with her record expunged. After some initial hostilities, Quentin Travers finally managed to convince the Scoobies that a Slayer was needed on the Hellmouth and that Faith had shown she was willing to face up to what she had done and had earned a second chance. Of all the people, it was Dawn who finally welcomed her into her home, giving her that second chance and convincing the others to do the same.

If Dawn's ready acceptance of Faith was surprising, the real shocker came three months after Buffy and Willow disappearance when Spike returned-disheveled, rambling and newly ensouled. His reason became clear once he became more coherent - he had made a promise to Buffy to look after Dawn, but he realized he couldn't do that as the monster. To fulfill his promise, he had to become a man once more. Even Xander was moved at the admission. And Spike was given a cot in the basement.

In an odd turn, that first year without Buffy and Willow turned out to be strangely quiet. The only thing that qualified as a threat turned out to be, of all people, Jonathan who, along with fellow nerds Andrew and Warren, dubbed themselves the Troika and decided to rule the world.

Faith and Spike managed to nip that one in the bud fairly easily - Spike through fear and intimidation, and Faith through a little brute force. Jonathan and Andrew took the hint and headed for the Mexican border but Warren refused to be beaten by a woman and came after Faith with a gun.

His first mistake was trying to kill Faith in the house or Revello Drive.

His second mistake was coming in when the entire Scooby gang was present.

His final mistake was pointing a gun at Dawn.

Spike immediately leapt at the homicidal nerd, taking several bullets to the chest as he tackled Warren through the living room windows. The move proved nearly fatal for both - Warren ended up with large shards of glass embedded in his back and Spike's chip overloaded, putting the master vampire into a coma for a month. He eventually recovered as did Warren - though he recovered in a prison hospital. Warren was eventually tried for the murder of his girlfriend and the attempted murder of Faith Lehane and Dawn Summers and was sentenced to life without parole.

Things started to get worse around Sunnydale the next year, however. And it soon became apparent that something evil was at work. This fact was proven when the Watchers Council was destroyed and blind assassins came after Faith and Giles who were luckily able to defeat them. Giles felt there was something familiar about the would-be killers - which were confirmed when Angel arrived with most his crew and identified them as harbingers of the First Evil, the so-called source of all evil that Angel had become acquainted with four years previous.

The First Evil's plans soon became apparent as young girls from all over the world were brought to Sunnydale by Wesley. He informed everyone that the Bringers were killing off all of the Potentials - girls who may become the Slayer one day - in order to bring the Slayer line to a halt. When this was done, the First would raise its army of Turok-Han vampires and become corporeal. Wesley had brought he girls to Faith so she could both protect them from the First's Bringers and train them for the coming battle.

Faith took the challenge with relish, seeing it as opportunity to prevent any future Slayers from making her mistakes. Soon all of the Scoobies, along with Angel's team, were helping to train and defend the Potentials while Giles, Wesley and Tara worked on ways to foil the First's plan. Eventually they found it, in the forms of an ancient amulet and a mysterious scythe. Tara had used the scythe to activate all of the Potentials who, with Faith, had stormed the Hellmouth to take the fight to the First's Turok-Han, while the witch Amy utilized the power of the amulet to destroy the remaining troops and close the Hellmouth while the others got away at the cost of her own life.

After the destruction of Sunnydale, the survivors headed for Los Angeles and the Hyperion Hotel for some well-deserved rest. It was there that Robson had contacted Giles and Wesley, telling them that the Watcher's Council had been reconstituted to deal with the influx of several hundred Slayers and that Giles, Wesley and their Slayers had been ordered back to London by Lord Nigel Ambrose-Bellairs, newly named head of the Council. Faith hadn't been happy with that as even though they had facilitated her release, she still didn't trust them because of the times they had tried to kill her. Nevertheless, Giles and Wesley managed to convince her that it was a good thing that the Council had been restored, seeing as there were now so many new Slayers that needed to be trained.

The optimistic feelings had disappeared upon their arrival to the new Council headquarters in Bristol, where they found the 'Old Guard' was basically using the new Slayers like slaves, housing them in the servant's quarters and having them do servant's work.

Giles still smiled when he thought about Faith's ultimatum to Sir Nigel, particularly her comment about a very inventive place she would stick her crossbow if the treatment continued.

Since that day nearly eight months ago, Giles and Wesley had worked tirelessly to change how the Council treated the Slayers. The girls now operated in groups, outfitted in the latest slaying gear designed by, of all people, Andrew and Jonathan, who had been saved by a couple of Slayers in Mexico. While Wesley worked more with the girls in the field, Giles had been named the second in command by virtually all of the Slayers (much to the older Watchers' chagrin). And he worked as hard as ever to change the Council from within. Xander had been given the task of organizing a construction crew to build all new facilities on the grounds to house the new Slayers. Tara, who had recently begun a relationship with a young Slayer named Kennedy, had enlisted the aid of a coven of witches from Devon to aid the Slayer with magical support. And Dawn-

Dawn had taken to being taught by private tutors provided by the Council. She also worked as a Watcher-in-Training, her skills with languages unparalleled, despite her age. And in her spare time, she devoted her research to finding a way to bring her sister and Willow home. And endeavor that annoyed Sir Nigel to no end, as he felt it was a waste of time.

Giles rubbed his temple as the music thankfully came to a sudden stop. "Thank the Lord…"

"Actually, you can probably thank Spike," Xander replied. "He hates Eminem. Anyways, as I was saying before we were interrupted by the battle of the bands… construction of the new dorms is proceeding ahead of schedule, thanks mostly to the Council's judicious allowance of overtime and a twenty-four hour rotating schedule for the crew. The buildings themselves will be done by next Tuesday, but making them livable will take a little bit longer."

"How much longer?" Giles asked wearily. He really couldn't stand anymore of this music.

"Several weeks," Xander replied ruefully. Giles was about to say something, but a knock on the door put a stop to their conversation. "Enter!" they both called out and the door opened to find two Slayers - a Sunnydale survivor named Vi and a newer, England-native Slayer named Belle.

"Pardon the interruption, sir," Belle said in her Cockney accent, "But we thought we'd best tell you tha' Sir Nigel is lookin' for you."

"And he seems kind of irate," Vi added nervously. While not as shy and withdrawn as she had been in Sunnydale, Vi still found herself intimidated by some of the higher ranking members of the Council like Sir Nigel and Giles.

"Any idea what he's irate about?" Xander asked, though he already knew the answer. Vi shrugged her shoulders apologetically.

"I'll give you two guesses, though you'll only need one."

Giles sighed. "I guess we could make a run for it…"

"You're not scared of this pompous blow-hard, are you?" Xander asked, unbelieving. Giles shook his head.

"No, but I really don't feel like dealing with him today…" he sighed and smiled wearily at the two Slayers. "Thank you for the heads up, ladies. But you'd best be off - you have patrol tonight."

"Righ' then, sir," Bell nodded, then headed out of the room, followed by Vi, who threw a 'Good luck!' over her shoulder. Giles looked over to Xander, who was still reclining on the couch. "You still have time to get away."

"Nah, I'm good."

"Mr. Giles!" a voice called from the hallway in a distinguished British accent. Giles looked up to see the head of the Council bearing down on him.

"And what seems to be the problem today, Sir Nigel? Upset that the girls won't shine your shoes anymore?" Giles asked in a mildly sarcastic tone. Lord Ambrose-Bellairs stalked into the office and came to a halt before Giles' desk and glowered at the man.

"We need to talk about your young charge."

"Which one, he has so many now," Xander said teasingly. Sir Nigel glared at the young carpenter.

"You may go now, carpenter."

"Yeah, and you can kiss my rosy red a-"

"Xander, that's enough," Giles cut in sharply, before returning his attention to Lord Ambrose-Bellairs. "As for Dawn, she is keeping up in her studies and her Watcher's training is proceeding apace. I see no problem."

"She continues to squander her times, as well as the Council's resources, on a pipe-dream!" he exclaimed hotly. Giles abruptly stood up from his chair.

"It has never been proven that Buffy is dead!" he retorted angrily. "As little as a few months ago, Faith reported to me that she had a Slayer dream with Buffy in it!"

"Slayer dreams can mean many things!" Sir Nigel shot back. "It does not mean that Buffy Summers is alive!"

"I will not tell Dawn to give up hope!"

"Buffy Summers and Willow Rosenberg are dead, Rupert! Accept it-"

"I did it!"

The voice startled the three men, who looked out the door to see the object of the discussion running towards them. "I did it! I've figured out how to locate them!" Dawn screamed excitedly, then turned and headed down the corridor. The three men looked at each other in confusion for a few moments, before Dawn appeared back at the door. "Follow me," she said and moved off again. The three Watchers hurriedly followed after the teenage girl.

"I've been having the same problem for three years," Dawn explained as they walked. "How do you find people trapped in an alternate dimension, when there are an infinite number of dimensions they could have ended up in? You can only open a portal to one dimension at a time - at least, that's the common conception."

"It's a magical certainty," Sir Nigel pointed out. Dawn shook her head.

"There are no certainties in magic, Sir Nigel," Dawn pointed out. "Just look at me - the Key was designed to open a doorway to all possible dimensions simultaneously."

"Surely you're not suggesting-"

"Of course not," Dawn interrupted, knowing where he was going. "The Key was made to be used once every couple million years or so and it would be too dangerous to even attempt to use it in any case. No, the answer is much simpler. Answer me this - what is a portal?"

"A mystical doorway to another dimension," Giles responded at once, but Dawn shook her head.

"Think simpler."

"Energy," Xander responded at once and Dawn nodded.

"Exactly," Dawn said, beaming. "A portal is nothing more than energy tuned to a specific field, or frequency. Now, I was talking with Fred about her research into portals and we started talking about this and we figured out how to access multiple dimensions at once."

"How?" Sir Nigel asked, clearly intrigued.

"Simple. We open a portal to any place, but manipulate its energy field to switch the point of destination. Like….switching channels."

"But how would this help you locate Buffy and Willow?" Giles asked. Dawn smiled.

"That's the easy part," she responded. "We do a simple locating spell, modified to be continuous and scan each dimension. Fred and the nerds are working on a device to rapidly change the energy frequency to expedite the search. It could take minutes or it could take weeks, but this is the best chance we have of ever finding them. And I know it will work."

"And what would you use to find Buffy?" Sir Nigel prodded. "All of your personal belongings were destroyed with Sunnydale."

"That's even easier. I'll use me," Dawn said. "I was made out of Buffy, Sir Nigel. Her blood, her DNA. If I use my blood with the locator spell, the results will show up in two places - here and wherever Buffy is. And Willow is bound to be there, too."

"Let me get this straight," Xander interrupted. "Three years of research. Three years of frustration, stress and agonizing and in the end it all came down to 'rotate shield frequencies'?"

Dawn shrugged and Xander laughed. Sir Nigel looked the girl dead in the eye.

"You really think this will work?" he asked.

"I do."

There was a moment as the three Sunnydale survivors waited to hear what the Council Head would say. What he said, it turned out, surprised them.

"Very well, then. Do it."

"I'm sorry?" Dawn asked, expecting a fight.

"This Council has lost a lot of good people these past few years," Sir Nigel explained. "Any opportunity we have to get some back… well, I say we take it. You have the full backing of the Council on this, Ms. Summers. Take whatever personnel or materials you need and make this happen. Bring them home."

Dawn smiled happily at the elder Watcher for the first time since she had arrived. "Yes, sir!" she said, then turned and rushed down the hall to find Fred and the nerds.

* * *

Things moved rapidly from that point. Dawn worked with Tara and the Devon Coven to perfect the locator spell they would use. Meanwhile Fred, Andrew and Jonathan managed to design a device that could not only house a small portal but also automatically shift its frequency at a rapid pace. While this was happening, Giles worked with Wesley to form a retrieval plan. 

"Assuming we are successful in finding them, I suggest a four-man team go through to bring them home," Wesley aid during one of their planning sessions.

"Agreed," Giles replied. "We also have to allow for the fact that the passage of time may be different wherever they are. Many years may have passed or it may have seemed like a blink of the eye to them. We need friendly faces there…"

"You're worried about Willow, aren't you?" Wesley asked. Giles looked back at his friend and colleague.

"You aren't?"

* * *

The night before they ran the search, Tara sat in her private room meditating. 

"Something wrong, sweetie?" Kennedy asked as she slipped into the room. Tara sighed and opened her eyes to look at her girlfriend.

"Three years, Kennedy," she said at length, all traces of her former stutter gone now. "It's been three years and I've only just begun to put Willow behind me. Now we're hours away from possibly finding her…"

"And you're scared?" Kennedy supplied, sitting down besides Tara on the floor. The blonde nodded.

"Things have changed so much and not just us - what about Willow? How has she changed? What has she gone through? And how can we - how can I - possible help her?"

Kennedy put a reassuring arm around her girlfriend and laid her head on Tara's shoulder. "Don't worry, baby. We'll figure it out."

* * *

The next day Sir Nigel, along with the Sunnydale survivors and the AI crew stood in Fred's lab, staring at the machine she and the nerdy duo had created. 

"So, here's how this works," Fred started, making adjustments as she talked. "Tara opens a small portal inside the device and then does the locator spell. The machine will cycle through different frequencies every few seconds until we get a lock. Once that happens, the computer will store the frequency so we can open up a larger portal directly to the correct dimension."

"What if something comes through?" Sir Nigel asked.

"Nothing will," Fred responded. "The portal will only be open on the end for a few seconds, and will be too small for anything to get through. On top of that, I have magnetically shielded the portal so anything that did manage to get through would be contained. And finally, Faith and some of the Slayers will be present here to deal with anything nasty."

"We're all set over here, Fred!" Andrew called out. Sir Nigel nodded.

"Proceed with the operation," he said. Tara and Althenea from the Devon Coven started chanting and soon a small portal flickered to existence. Once it was stabilized, Dawn pulled a small silver dagger from her belt and quickly slid it across the palm of her hand, cutting her palm open and covering the blade in her (and Buffy's) blood. She passed the dagger over to Tara, who quickly performed the locator spell. As expected, a bright dot appeared on the map over Bristol.

Meanwhile, the spell settled over and into the portal, searching for the other owner of the blood. At Fred's direction, Andrew hit the controls that started the frequency search, causing the portal to flash and change colors every few seconds.

"And now, we wait," Fred murmured, as they all settled in for the long haul.

* * *

It was well after midnight when Dawn was woken by an incessant beeping noise. Groggily she pushed herself up out of the chair she had fallen asleep and looked over to the 'portal jumper', as Andrew had taken to call it and saw immediately that the portal was gone and the machine was silent. Frowning, she walked over to the computer to check the readings. What she saw brought a smile to her face and tears to her eyes. 

"We've found her!"

A few hours later, everybody was gathered once more in the lab. Giles, Dawn, Xander and Faith were all dressed for patrol - jeans and combat boots (though Faith wore her leather pants). The girls wore black tank tops covered by dark leather jackets and the guys wore dark, heavy shirts under their own leather jackets. All four were outfitted for slaying and Faith had the Scythe strapped to her back.

"All right, listen up everybody!" Andrew yelled in an authoritative voice. At the assorted glares he received in return, he meekly added, "Uh, please? Um…okay! In a few moments we will open the portal and adjust the frequency. How will we do that, you ask? Simple! We use this small device," Andrew held up a small black rectangle about the size of a TV remote, "A GDO. This is the only way you have of getting home, ladies and gentlemen."

"Andrew?" Xander spoke.

"Yes, Xander?"

"Any more Stargate references and I'll sick Spike on you."

Andrew gulped as Spike growled maliciously.

"Anyway," Fred continued, "the…GDO, as Andrew called it, fires a small energy pulse. The first button will tune the portal to the destination dimension and the second will set the portal for home. I tried to make something to open a portal, but I haven't been able to mesh the magic and machine and I haven't quite perfected it yet, so it will be up to our magic users." Fred pointed to the mechanical archway she had constructed. "The portal will be opened in this archway. Andrew will then input the frequency into the computer which will instruct the arch to change the frequency. After that, you merely have to step through."

"It's been decided to use a four-person team," Giles announced. "Dawn and myself will be going as we both know Buffy the best. Xander will be the third due to his closeness with both Buffy and especially Willow. Faith will be the fourth and provide Slayer back up. Tara," he turned to the witch, "I know you want to come to help bring Willow home but I need you here. The Coven has graciously supplied me with some borrowed magic in order to be able to open the portal. If we don't return in forty-eight hours, you will need to open another portal to send a team in to retrieve us."

Tara sighed, nodding. "Very well. We'll be waiting here."

Spike moved into the circle and gave Dawn a hug. "Be safe, lil Bit."

"I will, Spike," she said, returning the hug.

"Mr. Giles," Sir Nigel said, extending a hand, which Giles shook. "Good luck. Bring them home."

Giles nodded and then motioned to Althenea, who dutifully opened a large portal in the archway. Fred motioned to Andrew, who began to slowly entered commands into the computer.

"Chevron one, encoded!" he called out. "Chevron one-"

"Andrew, you stupid git!" Spike growled. "Get on with it!"

Andrew swallowed. "Sorry," he apologized, rapidly entering codes into the computers. There was a flash as the portal shifted, ending in brilliant blue color. "Portal stabilized. Team has a go."

Giles took a deep breath. "I have a bad feeling about this…" he muttered as he stepped through the portal.

"One small step for man," Xander quipped, closing his eyes and holding his breath as he jumped through.

"One giant leap for Slayer-kind," Faith finished, stepping through after the carpenter, leaving Dawn standing before the portal.

"Here I come, Buffy," she whispered as she stepped through the portal.

Light seemed to bend, space spun and Dawn got the impression that she was being flung through space at high speed. And suddenly it ended as she stepped through the other side of the portal onto hard, dry earth. She looked around, horror blossoming on her face as she took in the surroundings - a land of ash, rocks, and volcanoes; rivers of lava-

Suddenly Dawn seized up, her eyes rolled back into her head, and then she dropped to the ground, unconscious.

"Dawn!" Faith cried, rushing over to the girl's side. She rolled Dawn onto her back and felt for a pulse. "She's alive," she told the two men who had come rushing over. "Pulse is strong, breathing is steady. Looks like she's just knocked out."

"But why?" Xander asked. "What happened?"

"Well, the Key was designed to open portals," Giles surmised. "Perhaps because of that, Dawn can't easily travel through portals?"

"We'll figure out the why's after we find our girls," Faith decided. "We'll split up. Xander, take Dawn with you. Hopefully she'll wake up soon or we'll be going back soon. I'll head north; Giles, you head west to that ridge over there. The locator spell should have put us down somewhere near them but I'm not sure how close we'll be." Faith withdrew the Scythe from her back. "Let's get them out of this hell."

Xander gently picked Dawn up and headed off to the east near the base of a volcano. Faith headed off to the north, her Scythe held at the ready. And Giles headed off to the ridge in the west. As he approached, he heard the unmistakable sounds of battle coming from the other side. Cautiously he approached and peered over the edge and saw his worst nightmare come to life.

Buffy, looking far older than he would ever have imagined seeing her, was fighting a raven-haired Willow with some kind of glowing sword. It was painfully obvious to Giles that Willow had fallen to the dark magicks she had toyed with in Sunnydale and he felt a pang of regret that he hadn't been stricter in restricting her from them. He paused in his remembrance as Buffy slammed her blade down onto Willow's, clearly expecting something and looking shocked when nothing happened.

"Come now, Buffy. You didn't expect me to not prepare for that old trick, did you?" Willow asked his Slayer mockingly, before she released one hand from her lightsaber and pointed it at Buffy, letting loose with a blast of purple lightening that caught Buffy in the chest and blew her back twenty feet where she landed on her back, writhing in pain. She couldn't help screaming as she felt as though her very blood was boiling within her skin.

"That's right, Buffy! Feel the burn!" Willow shouted with malice as Buffy convulsed on the ground. After a few moments she relented in her attack and Buffy rolled over onto her stomach, groaning in pain. Giles saw how powerful she had become and instantly prayed the magicks the Coven had provided him with would be enough to stop her.

"How did you think this was going to go, Buffy? You'd defeat me, maybe even bring back Willow?" Giles started at that. _Was this even Willow_, he wondered. _Or was Willow buried so deep down inside of that woman that she, perhaps, no longer existed?_ "That Anakin would snap out of my spell and beg for forgiveness?" _Who was Anakin? Another prisoner in this hell dimension, perhaps? _"Please. You were never going to defeat me. I will kill you here and then go on to kill Palpatine and rule over this Empire, remaking it in _my _image." _Dear god, Willow. What have you become? _"Why? Because I have the power to do so. Because I have power that no one could ever dream of! And because there's no one in this galaxy with the power to stop me now…"

Giles had heard enough. He stepped over the ridge and raised his hand to Willow and then let loose a powerful blast of magic at the witch. The power of the blast sent Willow rocketing off of her feet and into an outcropping of rock, where she landed in a heap. He ignored Buffy's shocked look as his calm brown eyes met Willow's onyx eyes.

"I'd like to test that theory," he said.

**TBC...**

You have no idea. You have no idea how hard it has been for me to keep this a secret. For nearly a year now, I've been writing up to this point with that last scene of Chapter 12 firmly imbedded in my brain. That scene, along with Buffy's conversation with Dawn at the end of Episode 1 and Willow's decent at the end of Episode 2 have always been in my head, and it has been a pain not to reveal them to anybody. Not even my Beta's knew what I was planning in regards to Giles. So now I want to say that I was blown away by the response to Chapter 12, and I want to thank all of those who reviewed for giving me the reaction that I ws hoping I would get.

**A/N: **Lord Nigel Ambrose-Bellairs is an actual cannon character, first seen in the post-series Buffy novel 'Queen of the Slayers', written by one of the most aggravating writers in history, Nancy Holder. If you think my battle scenes are weak, try reading her Buffy work - she'll spend the entire book building up to a major battle, only to show it in one paragraph - in a flashback

Also, remember that 'Battle of the Heroes' by John Williams is available on my Yahoo group.

**Next chapter** - Willow vs. Giles! And the escape from Mustafar! Also, we find out the aftermath of Yoda's fight, Buffy and Dawn are finally reunited and possibly Anakin and Faith will go to Coruscant to rescue the younglings-in-hiding!


	15. Chapter 14: Battle of the Heroes Part 2

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot. From here on out, the plot is almost entirely mine.**

**A/N: And now we're in the home stretch. Just a few more chapters to tie everything up, and to set up Episode 4. HOWEVER: there will be a lag between the end of Episode 3 and the begining of Episode 4, as I want to take some time to work on 'Harry Potter and the Light Brigade' and my new story, 'Finding Avalon', which I intend to debut in the final chapter of this story.

* * *

**

**Episode 3 Chapter 14**

**Battle of the Heroes Part 2 - Scoobies in Space

* * *

**

**Qui-Gon

* * *

**

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the clone. Come all the way from Kamino, have you?" Sidious sneered as he called his lightsaber to his hand. "What do you possible hope to accomplish here?"

_What indeed?_ Qui-Gon thought to himself. The Jedi Knight held no illusions - he may have been called back from the netherworld of the Force into a brand new and younger body, but he was no where near as powerful as the Emperor. Of course, he didn't need to defeat the Sith Lord - just distract him. He pulled out the lightsaber Count Dooku had given him and activated its red blade.

"I've never particularly cared for this weapon," Qui-Gon said mildly. "But, seeing as I was never able to fashion a new one after my…resurrection…I guess it will have to do. Master Yoda," he addressed the small Jedi Master that still lay on the ground behind him. "Leave now. Your part in this affair is over."

"But what of you?" the smaller Jedi asked, rising to his feet.

"Don't worry about me, Master. We shall see each other again soon."

"That is highly unlikely, clone," Sidious hissed, igniting his own blade and rushing at the Jedi, who easily blocked the opening thrust.

"My name," he said, returning the attack with his casual flourish, "is Qui-Gon Jinn."

* * *

**Mustafar**

* * *

Darth Traya, Dark Lady of the Sith, looked up at the ridge in shock, unable to believe what she was seeing. 

Rupert Giles. Alive and well, not looking a day over 45, standing before her.

"This…this isn't possible!" she breathed. "It's NOT POSSIBLE!"

"I assure you, it's quite possible," Giles responded calmly.

"This is a Jedi trick!" Darth Traya snarled as she started to rise to her feet.

"I am no trick," Giles replied, gesturing at Willow. "Stay down."

Traya fell back to the ground, growling in frustration. As she rose again, Giles once more tried to hold her down and she angrily waved away his power with her own. "_Enough!_"

"I agree, that's quite enough," Giles responded. "You need to stop this, Willow. These dark magicks are doing nothing more than destroying you!"

Traya stared at the Watcher for a few moments and then grinned evilly. "All right, Rupert," she said at length, "I'll play along. First and foremost - why would I even want to go home? I mean, really? What is there for me on Earth that I can't get here?"

"Your family and friends for one," Giles replied sharply, keeping a wary eye on Willow who scoffed in return.

"Please, I can make a whole new family here. Here, in my galaxy. A galaxy I will remake into _my _vision."

"You are not well, Willow! Let me help you!" Giles pleaded.

"Help me? What have you ever done for me except hold me back!" Traya retorted. "All the time in Sunnydale when I was helping Buffy, what did you teach me? NOTHING! All those books on magic and you kept them locked away from me! You, who knew so much, refused to teach me _anything_!" She adopted a voice that was low and nearly demonic and yet clipped with a cold British accent. "It's too dangerous, it's too risky, you're not old enough, not mature enough…" Her voice then returned to normal with a cackle that made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. "Everything I learned, I learned on my own or from my Master. And he gave me something that you never, ever offered me."

Giles stared back warily at his former pupil. "And what is that?"

Traya's grin turned to a sneer as she raised her right hand. "_Power_!" she screamed as she let loose with a blast of Force lightening. Giles hastily tried to erect a shield to block it but the dark magic enhanced lightening ripped through the shield like tissue paper and sent Giles flying to the ground.

"_Absolute power_!" Traya continued, pushing more and more energy at her former mentor. Giles writhed and screamed in agony on the ground as, second after second, Traya held him under her power until finally she released him.

Slowly, Traya sauntered up to the fallen Watcher, who still groaned in pain. "You think you can help me, old man? You're about fifteen years too late." She called her lightsaber back to her hand and ignited the blade. "Now, I just don't want your help. Nor do I need it." Traya raised her lightsaber to deliver the killing blow. "Goodbye, Rupert. But look on the bright side! At least you won't have to travel too far to go to hell."

* * *

Giles. 

Buffy was in shock. Giles was here. Not ten feet in front of her and he'd come to take them _home._

Thirteen years. For thirteen years she'd held out hope that she'd find a way home, that she'd see her friends and family again. It had only been after she'd met Jacen that she'd finally been able to let go. But now, here was Giles - her Watcher, her mentor, the man who was like a father to her…

And he was about to be killed by Darth Traya.

Buffy couldn't let that happen. She _wouldn't_ let that happen.

Buffy called upon every shred of power she could find in the Force and pushed it through her tired, worn muscles. She called her lightsaber to her hand and leapt. She landed next to Traya on her right foot and spun, arcing her silver blade up as Traya's blade went down. The silver blade sliced through Traya's right arm at the wrist and sending both the lightsaber and the hand that was still attached to it flying into the river of lava below.

Traya didn't even have time to scream as Buffy completed her spin and thrust out her left hand, still sparking from the Sith's earlier attack, and used the Force to push her hard into the outcropping of rock Giles had introduced her to moments before.

Buffy, breathing hard, her blade held at the ready, glared at her former friend. "It's over, Traya!"

Traya leaned against the rock, staring at the stump that had been her hand in shock. Her gaze traveled back up to Buffy's who stared in shock. For the first time in five years, Buffy looked into Willow's clear green eyes.

"Buffy?" she asked in a small, broken voice. "Please, kill me…"

"Willow?" she asked in shock. It couldn't be…

It only lasted a few seconds before the magicks overtook Willow once more and her eyes returned to the evil obsidian of Darth Traya. Screaming in outrage, the Sith raised her remaining hand and let loose with a blast of lightening. Buffy brought her blade up to block and as the energy struck the silver blade it was redirected back at Traya. It struck her with tremendous force. And finally Darth Traya, Dark Lady of the Sith was slammed into the rock and rendered unconscious.

Buffy staggered over to the fallen woman and knelt beside her, verifying that she was indeed out cold and using the Force to put her into a coma. Leaning back on her haunches, Buffy sighed and closed her eyes.

"It's over," she whispered to herself.

"Buffy!"

The strangled voice caught the Slayer's attention. Slowly she turned to look behind her where she saw Giles painfully trying to sit up. Cautiously she stood and walked towards the man, kneeling once more as she reached his side. Hesitantly she reached out to touch him, as if to prove to herself that he was real.

"Giles?" The word was a single sob on her lips, which then opened the floodgates as Buffy collapsed into her Watcher's arms, weeping.

* * *

"This is the end for you, my Master," Vader said coldly. Obi-Wan sighed. 

"I don't want to but I will destroy you if I must."

"You will try," Vader snarled and then he leapt over Obi-Wan and onto the platform, where they dueled once more, their blades flashing fast and furiously. Both men were exhausted, spent in both body and soul but neither would give up. It was intensely difficult - the narrow platform made it hard to maneuver around. Obi-Wan realized that unless he got off soon, Vader would overpower him.

Using the Force, he guided the platform closer to the riverbank leaping and landing gracefully on the rocky terrain.

"It's over, Anakin!" Obi-Wan yelled out as his former friend brought the platform alongside the riverbank. "I have the high ground!"

"You underestimate my power!" Vader snarled in reply.

Obi-Wan braced himself for what he knew had become the inevitable. "Don't try it!"

Vader's black eyes seemed to bore into the Jedi Master's for a moment as he prepared to leap…

… And suddenly he cried out in pain, clasping a hand to his head as he collapsed onto the platform. His lightsaber fell from his limp hand and clattered uselessly to the platform beneath him. Obi-Wan remained still for a moment as he tried to determine what was happening to his friend. Soon, anguished sobs reached his ears.

"What have I _done_? Oh, god…."

Anakin looked up to Obi-Wan, anguish evident in his eyes.

_Look at his eyes._

Anakin's eyes had returned to the crystal blue color they had been before. And Obi-Wan knew right then that Darth Traya's spell had been lifted.

"I killed them, Master," Anakin sobbed, struggling to pull himself together. But every last memory of Vader's grasp . "I tried to stop, but I couldn't…I killed them, killed them all. Oh my…"

Anakin staggered to his feet, inching closer to the edge of the platform. Obi-Wan suddenly feared the his friend would leap into the lava to assuage his grief.

"Anakin, listen to me," he said, deactivating his lightsaber and placing it back on his belt. "Anakin, I need you to jump over here, do you hear me? I need you to jump over here to me."

"I killed them all, Obi-Wan. I couldn't stop…I tried to stop…Oh, god….Nejaa, Cin Drallig…_RUNtse de SHANG-DEE, ching DAIwuhtzo_" he rambled on, edging closer to the edge.

"Anakin, listen!" Obi-Wan shouted. "Come to your senses! It wasn't you, it was Darth Traya! She made you do those things!"

"I should have been stronger!" Anakin shouted back. "I'm more powerful…I should have been able to resist…"

"Listen to me, if only for once!" Obi-Wan roared. "What's done is done, Anakin. You were _not_ at fault! And throwing yourself into the lava won't help anyone!" He saw him edge closer to the edge, so he persisted. "Think of your sister, Anakin!" The broken Jedi froze on the platform. "She has lost everything - her family, her friends, her child! What do you think will happen to her if she loses you, too? Please Anakin, jump over to me! Let us go find her and leave this rock!"

"How can I face her?" he asked weakly.

"How could you leave her?" Obi-Wan replied rationally.

Anakin seemed torn for a moment, so Obi-Wan threw in his trump card. "And what about your wife… Padmé? Would you leave her like this?"

"I hurt her," he replied plaintively, his eyes showing no surprise that Obi-Wan had discovered at last the truth.

"She loves you, Anakin. She'll forgive you. She's already forgiven you. Please, Anakin."

Anakin paused for a moment before making his decision. Reaching into the Force, he leapt from the platform to the shore besides his former Master, who embraced him as soon as he landed. "Come on, old friend," Obi-Wan said, calling Anakin's lightsaber to his hand and placing it back on his former Padawan's belt, "let's go find your sister and get out of here.

* * *

Buffy sat besides her Watcher, her arms around him in a bone crushing hug as if she thought that if she let go, he'd disappear. Of course, with Slayer strength, the bone-crushing was in danger of becoming literal… 

"Buffy, I do need to breathe…" Giles wheezed. Buffy immediately let go, a look of chagrin on her face.

"Oh God, Giles! I'm sorry!"

"It's all right, Buffy…" Giles replied with a warm smile that slowly faded off of his face as she took in his Slayer's appearance. She looked thinner than he remembered, even under the military-style clothes she wore. Her face also had more lines then he remembered, accentuated by a scar over her left eye. Her once-blonde hair had reverted to its more natural dirty-blonde color, similar to Dawn's. But the most significant change he saw was in her eyes. Her eyes which had carried a haunted look at time back in Sunnydale, looked positively tortured now. "Dear god, Buffy….how long-"

Before he could finish, Buffy's head whipped up as she sensed a familiar presence approaching. She jumped to her feet and spun around, switching on her lightsaber just as a voice from the past yelled "Hey!"

Standing not ten feet from her stood Faith, who held the Scythe up in a ready position. Her sister Slayer looked back at her with a look of disbelief on her face. Buffy, for her part, gave Faith a warm smile.

"Buffy?"

"Hello, Faith," Burry replied, deactivating her lightsaber. Faith lowered the Scythe, all the while eyeing Buffy's weapon. "Sweet. Where can I get one of those?"

"It's been a while, Faith. You look well."

"Thanks, B. You look like shit."

Buffy laughed at that, a short but relieved laugh, full of hope and happiness. "How?"

"Dawn, actually," Giles replied. "She never gave up hope. And as soon as Fred joined us…"

"Fred?"

"Part of Angel's crew," Faith supplied, jumping down the last set of rocks and meandering towards the pair. "We've joined up recently. Fred's kind of a mad scientist - plus she knows tons about portals and wormhole theory. Put Little D and Fred into a room - boom, a few months later, instant portal."

"Who else came?" Buffy asked, pulling Giles to his feet with her good arm; her left arm sparked, the damage rendering it immobile. Giles noticed, but didn't say anything - there were too many things happening at once and so much he was dying to ask.

"Xander and Dawn - though Dawn seemed to have an unexpected reaction to portal travel."

"Is she alright?" Buffy asked, suddenly frantic. She couldn't lose her sister before she even got a chance to see her again.

"She's fine, B," Faith assured her, sensing her uneasiness. "She's just unconscious, nothing more. We just need to worry about getting out of here…"

"Faith! Giles! Where the frilly heck are you two!" Xander's frantic voice called from over the ridge. A moment later he appeared, Dawn cradled in his arms. "I heard screaming and then there were fire…works…" his voice trailed off as he caught sight of one of his best friends. "Buffy?"

Buffy slowly walked up to her friend, gracing him with a smile before turning her attention to her sister. She looked almost exactly as he remembered her, though her features looked slightly more mature, her hair a bit longer. Closing her eyes, she reached out with the Force, trying to see if she could sense what was wrong with her sister-

And what she found surprised the hell out of her. Because Dawn was showing signs of being Force-sensitive. What's more, it appeared to be growing. A quick intake of breath broke Buffy's concentration and her eyes opened to see Xander looking past her to the outcropping where his childhood friend lay propped up against.

"What happened?" Xander whispered, gently handing Dawn to Buffy as he made his way over to his friend. "What happened to her?"

"She was deceived by a lie and it nearly destroyed her." Buffy said, the effort of speaking the words nearly breaking her heart. "What you see before you is not your friend, Xander. Merely the thing that took over her body and mind."

"She's a vampire?" Faith asked in disbelief. Buffy shook her head.

"Not in the way you are thinking, Faith. Willow can still be saved." She eyed Xander shrewdly. "As a matter of fact, I believe you may be the only one who can save her…." Buffy trailed off as a vision overtook her.

_A Senate pod with a Clone commander hovered up next to a pod containing Chancellor Palpatine and Mas Amedda. Below them was the wrecked remains of the Senate._

_"There is no sign of them, sir. It would appear that the Clone and Master Yoda both managed to escape._

_"Double your search," Palpatine snarled. "I want both of them found immediately."_

_"Yes sir. Right away, sir."_

_Palpatine turned to Mas Amedda. "Tell Captain Kagi to prepare my shuttle for immediate takeoff."_

_"Yes, Master."_

_"I sense my young apprentices are in danger."_

"Buffy? Are you alright? Buffy!"

The Slayer blinked away the vision and focused back on a worried-looking Giles.

"Buffy?"

"He's coming," Buffy whispered. Part of her wanted him to come, so she could face him and end it once and for all. But the rational part of her brain realized the state she was in - exhausted, injured and her mechanical hand was not working. The fight with Traya had taken almost everything she had and to top it all off - her family was here.

"Who's coming?" Faith asked. "Buffy?"

"Can you get back?" Buffy asked quickly. "Can you open the portal?"

"I'm afraid not, Buffy," Giles responded. "The fight with Willow took a lot of magic out of me. I need time to recover."

"Do you have to open it here? In this place?"

"I don't suppose so," Giles replied. "I can open the portal anywhere. As long as I have the tuning remote, it should get us home."

"Good," Buffy replied decisively. "Faith, I need you to grab Willow. If she wakes up, you need to knock her out again. Xander, take Dawn. I need both of my hands free. Giles, can you walk on your own?"

"Yes, but to where?" Giles asked.

"We need to find the others and get off of this rock," Buffy said, as though making up her mind about something. She handed Dawn back to Xander as Faith picked up Willow's prone form. "Follow me, but stay back a bit. I need some room to maneuver." Buffy called her Master's and Qui-Gon's old lightsabers to her and stuck them in her coat and then called hers and hooked it to her belt. Ignoring their astonished looks for a moment and pulled her com link out of her coat. "Threepio, do you copy?"

After a brief pause, the com link crackled to life. "Oh, Master Skywalker! Thank goodness you called! Poor Artoo has been in such a state…"

"Listen, Threepio!" Buffy cut him off, "I need you to take Padmé and bring her on board the _Falcon_. It's parked on the next pad over from Padmé's ship. Then tell Artoo to plug into the _Falcon's_ com unit and take control of her ship - we'll need a diversion getting out of here."

"Very well, Master Skywalker. If you need anything else-"

"That's all for now, Threepio. Skywalker out." She turned the unit off and slipped it back into her coat, then turned back to her family. "Come on, let's go."

"Where are we going exactly, Buffy?" Xander asked as they followed Buffy across the rocky terrain.

"To the _Falcon_," Buffy replied mysteriously. "But first we got to find-"

"Buffy!"

"Ben?" Buffy called back, seeing the two figures appeared over the ridge. But he wasn't alone. Standing at his side wearing a grim smile but his cerulean eyes shining brightly against the gloomy volcanic rock was her brother. She felt as though something inside her collapsed with relief.

"Ani!" she shouted, the joy evident in her tone. Buffy took off running, coming up to her brother and grabbing him in a hug. His arms tightened around her, easily lifting her from the rock and crushing her to him. "Ohmygod Ani. I thought I lost you…" she breathed.

"I'm so sorry, Buffy," Anakin moaned, dissolving into tears as he clung to her, drawing that warm strength she had always carried, the strength he so desperately needed right now. "So very sorry."

"Um, Buffy?" Obi-Wan interrupted, looking past her to her friends who stood a short ways behind her. Buffy noticed the look and grinned.

"Family came in from out of town. Of course, their timing was as impeccable as ever…" She turned back to Anakin. "Ani, I need you to listen to me. He's coming. You know it, don't you?"

Anakin nodded. "I can feel him coming," he confirmed, shaking his head as he glanced at the others.

"So can I," Buffy replied. "So I need you to hold it together at least until we can all get out of here. _Dong le ma_?" Anakin nodded. "Good. Now we just have to cross the river and make it to the _Falcon_. Ideas?"

"There's a small platform a little ways back," Obi-Wan suggested. "It would be a tight fit, but I think we can all make it across on it."

"Good," Buffy said. "Then let's go." Turning, she started walking back towards the rolling waves of lava.

"Yeah. Let's go… to wherever," Faith mumbled, adjusting Willow in her arms and following the elder Slayer.

The group made their way back to the platform that Obi-Wan and Darth Vader had battled on. In short order, they had arranged themselves on the platform and Obi-Wan used the Force to slowly guide it to the other side. As they traveled, Buffy peeled the glove off of her damaged artificial hand and then pulled a small tool from her jacket and went to work on it. Faith started at the hand in shock.

"Jesus Buffy, what happened?"

"Lost it in a fight," Buffy replied simply, reconnecting a severed wire. Instantly the fingers started responding to her commands again.

"With what?" After all the Slayers had been through, it was hard to imagine something _human_ taking Buffy's hand from her.

"Darth Traya," she replied, briefly glancing at the prone figure in Faith's arms. Faith caught the look and her eyes widened. "See why I wanted a Slayer to hold onto her?"

Soon the raft came to a stop and the group piled off onto the shore. They made their way up the steep sloped slowly due to the burdens in their arms, but soon they came to the landing pad. On it sat the _Falcon_-

Along with a Clone Troop carrier with a dozen Clone Troopers milling about.

"_Ai-yah. Tyen-ah_, he must have sent an advanced guard," Buffy whispered.

"What are they?" Faith asked, setting Willow down and reaching for the Scythe. Buffy's hand on hers stopped her.

"They're clones. They were on our side during the war, but now they've turned on us and are killing Jedi everywhere. And you won't be able to deal with them."

Faith was starting to get fed up with the obvious that she knew absolutely nothing about the world she was currently in. "Okay, that's it!" she hissed. "First - what war? Second - clones? And third - what the hell is a Jedi?"

"Faith, there is more going on here than you realize but it will take too long to explain it all. But I promise - when we get out of here and everybody is awake and ready - I will tell you everything. But for right now, I just need you to trust me. Can you do that?"

Faith was silent for a moment and in that moment Buffy thought that Faith really wouldn't trust her. Then her sister Slayer sighed and nodded and Buffy let go a sigh of her own. "Alright then. Obi-Wan and I can handle this. You all stay here until we tell you and then run like hell for that ship." She pointed to the _Millennium Falcon_. Then she turned to her brother. "Ani, listen to me. Ben and I will deal with the troops, but I need you to protect everyone else if they come over here. Can you do that?"

Anakin hesitantly removed his lightsaber from his belt and held it in his hand, inactivated. "I'll protect them, Buffy. I promise." He wouldn't let her down now, not with these strangers here that seemed to breathe life into his wounded sister.

Buffy grinned. "Good, 'cause when she wakes up, I'm going to introduce you to our sister." She pulled her lightsaber from her belt and then reached under her coat to remove another - and came up with Mace's. Obi-Wan noticed and his expression fell.

"Master Windu?"

"Traya had it," Buffy said simply. "Shall we?"

Obi-Wan steeled himself as he pulled his own lightsaber from his belt. "Yes, lets."

The two Jedi leapt up onto the platform and walked towards the Clones, igniting their blades. The Clones spotted them almost immediately.

"Hello, boys. Looking for us?" Buffy asked mockingly.

"Jedi scum!" one clone snarled in return, raising his blaster. "Blast 'em!"

* * *

Faith, Xander and Giles watched in astonishment as Buffy stalked towards the strange soldiers with only her two glowing swords as protection from their guns. They watched, astonished, as Buffy blocked laser bolt after laser bolt, sending some straight back to their senders. Their fascination turned to horror, however, as Buffy waded into the troops - severing arms, legs, heads and torsos without even blinking. After only a few seconds it was over and the two Jedi stood amidst a sea of bodies. 

"Dear god…" Giles whispered to himself.

Buffy ran over to the _Falcon_ and punched in the code, lowering the ramp - and revealing Threepio right inside.

"Oh, Master Skywalker! I'm so glad you're here…"

"Is Padmé on board?" Buffy asked, motioning for the others to come over.

"Oh yes. She's resting in the medbay at the moment. She's quite weak."

"She'll feel better when she sees Anakin," Buffy replied. "Power her up and tell Artoo to launch Padmé's ship and do everything he can to make it an obvious target."

"Right away, Master Skywalker," Threepio replied as he shuffled towards the cockpit. Buffy turned to Obi-Wan. "You better tend to our guests. Get them strapped in and put Dawn and Tray-_Willow-_" she corrected, "in the Medbay. Anakin," she turned to her brother, who had just arrived, "go see your wife. But be warned - Willow is in the Medbay and I don't want her touched, _dong ma?"_

"Crystal," Anakin replied, hurrying into the ship. As the Scoobies approached, Obi-Wan herded them into the ship as well.

"I need to get you all strapped in. Our exit sequence may be a little rough." Faith looked ready to ignore the Jedi to get some answers out of Buffy, but he took her arm with a surprisingly strong grip and led her inside. "There is a time and place for confrontations and I daresay there have been too many here today."

Buffy followed everyone else in and closed the hatch behind her and then hurried to the cockpit where she found Threepio in the second seat. "We are ready to depart, Master Skywalker."

"Lift off!" she said, dropping into her seat just as her ship lifted off of the pad and blasted into the sky.

"Okay, so is anybody else freaking out here?" Xander asked from his seat in the grav couch that the Jedi-guy had put him in before taking his friends to the med-bay. "I mean, anybody at all?"

"I'm _way_ past freakin'," Faith said with her characteristic shrug. Giles was about to add his own remarks when the ship suddenly shuddered around them. "What the devil?"

Xander quickly unbuckled himself and leapt to his feet. "I'm finding out what's going on right now," he declared, heading in the direction he had seen Buffy head earlier. Soon enough he found his way to the cockpit and what he saw stopped him dead in his tracks.

They were in space.

And there were spaceships out there.

Heck, he was _in_ a spaceship.

"Spedoinkle!" he exclaimed, attracting Buffy's attention.

"Damn it, Xander! You need to be sitting down! Strap in!" she indicated the seat behind Threepio.

"What's going on?" he asked desperately, sinking into the indicated seat.

"We're going to a safe place, but we needed to slip past these clowns first. Artoo," she indicated the small astrodroid that was plugged into the coms unit outside the cockpit, "is flying Padmé's ship as a decoy while the navicomputer makes the calculations for the jump to light speed."

"This thing's got a warp drive?" Xander asked, both delighted and terrified at the same time.

"Hyperdrive, actually." There was a brilliant flash outside as Padmé's ship was destroyed. At the same time the computer beeped. "Great timing. Time to go!" she said as she reached up to the center console and pulled back on the Hyperdrive activator and outside the pinpricks of stars lengthened as the _Millenium Falcon_ streaked into hyperspace.

Buffy sighed in relief and sat back heavily in her chair. Xander looked at wonder at the sight of hyperspace as it streaked past the cockpit windows.

"Uh, Buffy?" he asked his friend hesitantly.

"Yes, Xander?"

"Where are we going?"

"To a sanctuary, Xander," Buffy replied in a tired voice. "Next stop, Polis Massa."

**TBC

* * *

**


	16. Chapter 15: Sanctuary

**Episode 3 Chapter 15**

**Sanctuary

* * *

**

"We'll reach Polis Massa in about two hours," Buffy announced, setting the auto pilot. "Once we get there, we'll get the injured to the medical facilities and Willow to a secure room. I really think you'll be the one to break through to her..." She said the last part as though she were thinking aloud.

"Buffy, what the hell is going on!" Xander finally exclaimed. "_We_ spent the past three years trying to find you and when we do you're flying the freakin' Enterprise, killing people with lethal glowsticks…"

Buffy tuned out his tirade as she looked over her friend. He seemed older beyond his years - stress lines adorned his face, barely covered up by a five o'clock shadow. He had only one eye, the other was hidden behind a black eye patch. Other than that he looked well physically; even more fit and filled out than he had been the last time she saw him.

"…And now Willow's missing a hand and we're traveling to some Polar Mesa at ludicrous speed!" he finished, taking a deep breath. Buffy looked at her friend, sadness evident in her eyes.

"How'd you lose the eye?"

"In a fight," Xander replied, echoing Buffy's words from minutes before. "And don't dodge the question. What's going on?"

Buffy sighed. "Xander, you say you've been looking for us for three years? Well we've been looking for a way home for _fifteen._ Neither of us is anywhere near the same; not by a long shot. You have _no_ idea what we've gone through."

"Then tell me!" Xander exclaimed.

"I will," the Jedi replied calmly, "but not until everyone is present. There are a lot of things to tell and I really don't want to do it more than once. Please, Xander."

Xander stared at his friend for a moment and then nodded. "All right, fine." Xander exhaled slowly and then stood. "I'm going to go sit with Willow."

Buffy nodded and then turned back to her controls. Xander moved to the doorway. A moment later he turned to her, confusion evident in his face.

"Uh, Buffy? Where do I go?"

Buffy chuckled. "Take over, Threepio. Come on, Xander," she said, rising and moving to her friend's side. "Let's go see our family."

* * *

An hour later, the Millennium Falcon reverted to real space just outside the asteroid field that housed Polis Massa. Situated in the Subterrel sector in the Outer Rim, Polis Massa was a collection of small cities buried in the shattered remains of a long dead world; and had seemed to be the perfect place for a temporary Jedi Sanctuary. The Polis Massans, though isolationists by nature, had welcomed Buffy when she had approached them shortly before her mission to Corellia, whose only guidance were several disturbing visions. She had been pleased to discover that several of her fellow Jedi that she had confided in had continued to prepare the sanctuary during her absence. And as she brought he Falcon to rest in the main hanger of the largest city know as the Local Dig, she was pleased to see the chief among those Jedi standing next to Master Yoda and Bail Organa waiting as the ramp lowered. 

"Master Skywalker."

"Padawan Olee." Buffy nodded in greeting. "How much did you get?"

"Only about two-thirds, Master," Olee Starstone replied. Once an apprentice to Jocasta Nu, the young Padawan had asked to be reassigned to gain experience in the field and had been taken on by Master Bol ChatakShe had been with her Master and several other Jedi on Murkhana when Order 66 had been initiated and had only narrowly managed to escape. Master Chatak had not been as lucky - cut down by Clone Troopers while giving time for Olee and fellow Master Roan Shryne a chance to sneak onto a departing transport headed for the Outer Rim. From there, it had only been a matter of acquiring a small craft to bring them to the Sanctuary.

While Master Shryne had never been there, Starstone was very familiar with the complex - she had been chosen by Buffy specifically for the task of backing up the Archives. "Unfortunately, it seems as if someone noticed the download and attempted to trace the connection. I immediately initiated the countermeasures and disconnected. By now, the virus should have thoroughly destroyed the data in the Archives."

"Better destroyed than in the hands of a Sith. Good work, Starstone." The young Padawan nodded and then took her leave to continue her work. Buffy turned to Yoda as the rest of the group came down the ramp. "Master Yoda," she said, bowing in respect. "I am pleased to report that Anakin has been freed and we have captured Darth Traya. And, well…I brought some friends along."

"More Jedi?" Organa asked. Buffy shook her head.

"Not exactly," she replied. The two men looked on in confusion as two strangely dressed men proceeded down the ramp - one with the dreaded Darth Traya unconscious in his arms - and one strangely dressed woman, carrying yet another unconscious female. Bail looked at the Jedi, who smiled sheepishly. "My family came for a visit."

Xander, Faith and Giles looked back at Master Yoda and Senator Organa for a moment, unsure of how to proceed. Finally Faith lifted her chin in greeting.

" 'Sup?" she asked calmly. "Whose the muppet?"

Yoda's eyes narrowed in confusion.

"Impossible, I thought it was for you to return home," he stated. "Also impossible, it would then be, for your friends to come here."

"Nothing is impossible against the will of a Summers woman," Xander said proudly, glancing fondly at Dawn's figure in Faith's arms. Giles nodded in agreement, as did Yoda.

"Found that out, I have. Welcome you, the Jedi do, to our Sanctuary."

"We need a secure room for Willow," Buffy interjected. "And a quiet room for Dawn."

"What is wrong with her?" Bail asked, looking at the dark haired girl held by the other Slayer. Faith shrugged.

"No idea. She just collapsed after we got…to wherever the hell we got to."

"Mustafar."

"Yeah, that too."

"Sense the Force in her, I do," Yoda said, concentrating on the girl. "Suddenly upon her did it come. Rest is what she needs."

"Uh, we have a situation here!" a slightly panicked voice shouted from inside the ship Soon Obi-Wan emerged, gesturing behind himself. "It's Padmé!"

"What's wrong? Is she okay?" Bail asked, worried for his friend. Buffy, who had just remembered that her sister-in-law was with them, looked on in concern.

"It's the baby - it's coming," Anakin remarked as he carried Padmé down the ramp. "We need to get to the doctors now."

Bail nodded. "Follow me." Obi-Wan and Anakin, still carrying Padmé, followed the Senator, leaving Buffy and the Scoobies with Yoda

"To your rooms, I will show you," the diminutive Jedi said. "Much to tell you on the way, I have."

* * *

The group proceeded through the complex nodding in greeting to both fellow Jedi and Polis Massans. They moved through a rather large courtyard to the far corner of the complex, where a set of doors opened as they neared. 

"Do all of you do that telekinetic trick?" Xander asked in wonder.

"Most of us," Buffy smirked. "But the doors are on sensors."

"Right."

They moved to the first room on the left and Yoda led them in. It was fairly bare - just a bed and a small set of vital monitors for the doctors. But off to the right was a large bay window that stared out into the empty expanse of space. "In here, your sister can rest," he told Buffy, who nodded in reply. Faith moved to the bed and gently laid the girl down, covering with the sheets. The monitors flared to life, instantly showing Dawn's rather stable vitals.

"Bet she'll love the view," Faith remarked. "She's had a thing about star watching, since you…yeah," she finished lamely. Buffy smiled.

"I know."

"Where do we put Willow?" Xander asked. Yoda's eyes narrowed.

"This way," he said, his voice surprisingly gruff to the non-Jedi following behind him.

They followed the tiny Jedi out of Dawn's room with Buffy giving her sister once last look before moving out into the hallway. They moved down to the last room on the left and Yoda gestured to Xander to put the witch in the room. Xander entered to find a room similar to Dawns, only sans the window. Instead all four walls appeared to be heavily fortified and the only exit was the door behind him. Grimly he placed his friend on the bed and headed back out.

"It's a cell," Xander stated plainly, anger evident in his voice.

"As Darth Traya, she's responsible for ordering the deaths of millions of people. Giles, I need to know - can you bind her magic?"

Giles, who was startled at hearing what Willow had done, shook off the confusion and nodded his head. "Yes, temporarily."

"Then do it," Buffy continued. "Right now, she's too dangerous to talk down. But deny her of her powers and it may be possible to break through to Willow." Giles nodded and proceeded into the room to perform the necessary spells.

Buffy turned to Xander. "Xander… that will be up to you. Before you go in, though, I'll need to tell you a few things. We'll do that in a few minutes, okay?"

"All of us?" Faith asked. Buffy sighed.

"Yeah, all of you." Before Buffy could continue, Giles emerged.

"The spells are completed." Buffy nodded as her former Watcher paused, looking rather uncomfortable. "I never thought I would have to do that."

"Then I guess it's time we had a talk," she said slowly, "about what happened to Willow and I and about what I think happened to Dawn."

* * *

The small group made their way into a small conference room near the hospital. Obi-Wan joined them at Anakin's insistence. "In case there are any questions I could answer," he explained. "Bail's watching over them now." 

"How's Padmé?" Buffy asked.

"In labor, but her vitals are stable," Obi-Wan replied. "We should know in an hour or so how the children are."

"More than one, there is?" Yoda asked, surprised. Obi-Wan nodded.

"Twins."

Buffy sighed. "Well, then. I guess it's time. I had wanted to wait for Dawn but if Willow wakes up before her…" she looked to Xander. "Like I said, there are things you need to know."

"Take your time, Buff," Xander replied. "Take your time."

* * *

"The portal dropped us on Mustafar and I mean dropped us. About fifteen feet onto the hard, rocky ground where we were found by a rogue group of slavers. That was fifteen years ago." 

The Scoobies stared in horror, but Buffy knew the fun was just getting started. So she took a breath to steady herself and continued.

"They broke us. I won't go into details - quite frankly, I don't like to remember. It took me years to finally work through it all. And the truly scary thing is that Willow went through worse. She never told me all of the details - only that she was sold to a pleasure boat as a whore. For a while she was able to use her magic to fool the 'clients'. But when they found out what she could do, she was given to a guy named Xiazan - head of the Black Sun group, which owned the ship. He took her with him to use her powers to influence decisions in his favor. And though she never talked about it, I'm pretty sure he made her do…other things… as well.

"And she went along with it. She had to - she was too noble. If she refused, the other slaves would be killed and she couldn't live with that. So she lived like that - but not for long. Pirates ended up attacking her ship and she managed to escape, while making everyone else think she had been killed. She ended up on the planet Naboo and was taken in by the Naberrie family - and became something like another sister to Padmé. Padmé was already in public service at the time and within a year she would be voted Queen of Naboo and Willow would follow her as one of her handmaidens, under the name Rose Naberrie.

"My story is a bit different. It was nearly a year before I was sold and when I was it was to the Hutts. They're gangsters, slave traders, smugglers… they run most of the criminal empire in the galaxy. I ended up on Tatooine and was won by a Toydarian named Watto in a bet. The first thing he did was fit me with a Control Collar - anytime I got out of hand, he'd activate it and it would shock the hell out of me. The next thing he did was to put me with the other slaves he owned - the Skywalkers. I was truly a broken girl when I came to them, lost and frightened. Shmi became like a second mother to me and with Ani they were able to, well, fix me. Well, mostly - I was still afraid of Watto, thanks to the damn collar. I was on Tatooine for nearly a year when I met two Jedi - Obi-Wan, and his Master, Qui-Gon.

"They came into Watto's junk shop, looking for parts for their ship. I remember thinking he looked a lot like Clint Eastwood, actually. He was a good man - he actually set things up to win Ani and I from Watto and got us our freedom. When we got back to his ship, that's when I found Willow. We ended up traveling to Coruscant, then back to Naboo, where we helped Padmé free her planet from a droid army commanded by the Trade Federation. Willow and I stayed on the planet, fighting though the palace to get the Viceroy, while Anakin got the brilliant idea to fly a starfighter up into space and single-handedly take out the droid control ship. I never let him live that one down for years."

"You still haven't." Obi-Wan pointed out. Buffy paused to think for a moment and then nodded.

"Oh yeah. Anyway, While Ani was flying like a maniac and Willow was with Padmé fighting the droids. I stayed with Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon, and got taken down rather quickly by a Sith warrior named Darth Maul."

"What's a Sith?" Faith asked. "Anything like…what you are now?" she added hesitantly.

"Yes and no," Obi-Wan replied, taking over with the explanation. "The Jedi and the Sith have both existed for millennia, but our ideology is very dissimilar. While the Jedi believe in preserving justice and defending the peace, the Sith believe only in gaining power, by whatever means necessary. And while there are-" He closed his eyes for a moment, "were - thousands of Jedi in the galaxy at one time, there will only ever be two Sith."

"Why is that?" Giles asked, his curiosity piqued.

"It was a rule enacted by an ancient Sith Lord named Exar Kun - only two Sith could be allowed at any one time: a Master and an Apprentice. When the Apprentice is ready, they kill the Master and the process starts over again. But both Sith and Jedi draw their power from the Force."

"And what's that?" Xander asked.

"The simplified answer is that the Force is an energy field," Buffy continued in a tired voice. "It surrounds everything and is present in everyone. There are two sides - Light and Dark. The Sith draw from the Dark Side. The Sith I fought was fairly well skilled in the Dark Side and he took me out with no real effort."

_FLASH _

_The Slayer charged forward. Ignoring Qui-Gon's shouts for her to stop, she swung her makeshift staff over her head and brought it down with all of her strength at the demon's head-_

_And the Sith warrior sliced it cleanly in two with his dual-bladed lightsaber. Then taking advantage of her shock, he thrust out his palm, sending a powerful Force wave hurtling at the Slayer. The blast sent Buffy sailing clear across the hanger, where she impacted against the far wall. Her head cracked against the wall and she slid down to the floor, unconscious._

_FLASH__  
_

"That was also when I started to realize what the Powers had done to me when I got dropped in this universe."

_FLASH_

_Qui-Gon and the Sith were fighting in a round room - a large, endless shaft in the middle and blocked off from the power distribution plant by a long corridor with five glowing containment fields. Obi-Wan was stuck behind the final field, waiting for it to drop as his Master valiantly fought the Sith. But Qui-Gon was desperately over matched; his years of experience nothing against the raw fury of the demon warrior. Their blades crashed against each other, until finally the Sith, Darth Maul, Buffy knew instinctively, pushed the Jedi's blade up and away, butted him in the face with the handle of his lightsaber and then spun around and buried the bottom blade of the lightsaber deep into the Jedi Masters gut as his Padawan screamed…_

_NOOOOOOOO!_

_FLASH_

"Slayer visions?" Giles asked, but Buffy shook her head.

"No, these are more than that. These aren't the cryptic messages the Powers used to send me - these are entire events, played out in living color in my mind. Sometimes its a few minutes in the future, sometimes its a few years. And that's not the only thing. For months before Naboo, things had started happening. Tools that were out of reach suddenly would leap into my hands; my strength and speed seemed to be increased even further. And when I fought the Sith on Naboo, it went even further.

_FLASH_

_"Time for you to die, little girl," he growled, as he brought the lightsaber down on Buffy._

_With a snarl, Darth Maul brought his remaining red blade down at Buffy's head with all of his might. Buffy reached out towards Obi-Wan-_

_And his lightsaber leapt into her hand._

_In an instant, she activated the blue blade and brought it across her face, blocking the Sith's blade and causing him to gape in surprise. Taking advantage of his confusion, she kicked her leg up into the Sith's back, sending him sprawling over her head. The Sith rolled and came up to his feet in an instant, spinning around to face Buffy as she kicked up. She turned to face him and brought the lightsaber up to a mid guard position, eyeing the Sith critically._

"_Your first words and that was it! Lame!"_

"_Jedi!" Maul hissed angrily. Buffy shook her head._

"_No. I'm the Slayer, you're the slayee." She held out her left hand, palm up, and motioned with her fingers. "You want some? Come get some."_

_Maul rushed the Slayer then, his single blade slicing through the air before impacting on Buffy's blue blade. They treaded blows, back and forth, as fast as he and Obi-Wan had - faster, even. Maul brought the blade around at her head and Buffy blocked it, pushing his blade down before bringing hers back up, nearly slicing his chin. Maul quickly backed up and spun away, but Buffy managed to bring her blade swiftly down, scorching his back. Maul hissed in pain and spun around again, bringing his lightsaber back up. Buffy smirked._

"_Payback's a bitch, ain't it?"_

_Obi-Wan heard the fight going on above him and he desperately fought to get out of the pit._

_Calm yourself, Obi-Wan, he thought to himself. You must not give in to your fear._

_Letting his emotions drain out of him, Obi-Wan concentrated on the moment, letting the Force fill him. Gripping the sensor node tightly, bracing his feet against the slick walls of the exhaust tube, Obi-Wan pushed and pulled at the same time-_

_And leapt out of the pit, landing just a few feet from his fallen master and just across the way from the two combatants. And what he saw astounded him._

_He had witnessed the ending to Buffy's fight against Maul and her accidental use of the Force. At that time, he had realized that perhaps she had some potential, but at this moment, he SAW her potential. It was in the way she moved, effortlessly blocking and parrying Darth Mauls swings and thrusts. He saw fluidity in her motions that could only be brought about by the Force, and he saw that, at least on a subconscious level, she had some mastery over it._

_And then he saw it. Buffy's eyes flickered to his for just a moment, but that was all it took to convey her intentions. As she pressed her attack against him, Obi-Wan summoned his Master's lightsaber to his hand._

_Buffy pressed her attack, backing Maul towards a waiting Obi-Wan. Fast and furious were her strokes now and it was everything Maul could do to keep deflecting them. Down, up, across - she varied the pattern to her strikes, never giving him a clue as to where she would strike next. Another swing brought the red blade up to defend Maul's head and put the lightsaber in the exact position Buffy wanted it. _

_And then, for the second time that week, Buffy brought her blue blade down, using every ounce of her Slayer strength and even pouring some of the Force into it. Her blue blade crashed against the red so violently, that it would have driven both blades deep into the Zabrak's skull, had not the same results occurred that had happened in her duel with Master Windu. The backlash of energy into the crystal was so great, this time it didn't short the saber's power generator out-_

_It destroyed them._

_Both of them._

_Violently._

_The blades snapped out of existence at the same instance the hilts of the sabers exploded. Buffy yelled in pain as the energy released in the explosion burned her hands and the exploding metal of the hilt was driven into them. Maul cried out in similar pain, and turned away from the Slayer, in order to gain some distance and try to recover-_

_And at that moment, Obi-Wan activated Qui-Gon's lightsaber and swung around, sweeping the green blade out in a wide arc that caught the Sith Lord across the waist. Surprise flickered across the Sith's face - wasn't he supposed to be dead? – but it only lasted a moment as both halves of the Sith Warrior fell into the exhaust pit, falling silently down into the darkness below._

"_Goodnight, Irene," Buffy muttered._

_FLASH__  
_

"The fight took everything out of me and I collapsed. That's when I met Doyle…"

_FLASH_

"_Where the hell…"_

"_Not quite, Blondie."_

_Buffy whirled around, instantly slipping into a fighting stance as a man appeared out of the fog. The man raised his hands, showing that he was unarmed._

"_Easy there, Blondie. I'm not here to hurt yea."_

_Buffy stared at the man, a memory trying to break through in her mind. She recognized the man - a chiseled face, short, dark hair, and piercing blue eyes, dressed in the gaudiest clothes she had ever seen…_

"_I know you… you're…" she started and then she trailed off, desperately searching for his name. The man smiled a rather roguish smile at her._

"_Doyle," he supplied. "We met briefly when you came to visit Angel in L.A. I also saw you in a vision, but that's another story."_

"_But, you died!" Buffy exclaimed, then realizing what she had just said, and what it implied, her breath hitched. "Am I dead?"_

"_You?" Doyle said incredulously, then shook his head. "No, nae yet. And nae for a long time. I'm just here to give you a message, from the Powers that Be."_

_Buffy narrowed her eyes at the Irishman. "Why you?"_

"_Because they wanted to explain some thing to yea, but they wanted to do it in private. Plus, the guy they were gonna send wouldn't do it - something about not wanting to wear his ribcage for a hat."_

"_Guess Whistler was smarter than he dressed," Buffy quipped, her face turning serious. "So, what did they want to tell me?"_

"_All right kid, here's the story. The Powers that Be can't send you home. They have very little real power in this universe and even though they want to send you back, if only ta reward yea for everything yea've done, they cannae do it. The only thing they can do is give you a fighting chance in this universe- you see where I'm going with this?"_

_Buffy thought back to the last few days, and all of the strange things she had done - fighting against Windu, Maul, using the Force, the vision of Qui-Gon…_

"_They made me a Jedi?" she ventured, more certain of that fact then her voice carried. Doyle nodded. "Can they really do that?" she asked. The Irishman just chuckled._

"_Actually, midi-chlorians are in every living being, in every universe and dimension, just usually in such small numbers that it doesn't make a difference. There rare people on Earth who have moderately high counts and can do wondrous things…"_

"_Like witches?" Buffy asked hopefully. But the hopefulness disappeared into a frown when Doyle shook his head._

"_Nae, witches rely on magic. Anyhoo, the Powers were able to jump start your midi-chlorian thingies and the next thing you know, you're powered up faster than if you'd had a pint of Guinness."_

"_And the vision?"_

"_Consider it an extension of your Slayer powers," Doyle responded carefully. "You're still a Slayer - there's no changing that. But you're recent-changes- have affected your powers in certain ways. Visions are a part of the Slayer package. They also come with studying the Force. You'll learn how to use them to your advantage. Buffy…" he started, trailing off for a moment. _

_Then, taking a deep breath, he continued. "Magic doesn't exist in this dimension and the Power's that Be cannae send yea home, but that doesn't mean that you won't be able to find a way yourself. Don't give up hope, Buffy. And in the mean time," he finished, gesturing to the end of the street, where the fog had started to lift, "the Powers wanted to grant you one last favor. A real chance to say goodbye."_

_FLASH__  
_

"So there you have it," Buffy concluded. "The Power's couldn't send us home, so they altered my body so that I could access the Force on a level that few Jedi could."

"She's not being modest, either," Obi-Wan piped in. "Buffy is one of the most powerful Jedi in the Order, next to Yoda. And Anakin..." he added as if it were an afterthought.

"So, the Powers turned you into a Jedi," Xander interjected. "But what does that have to do with Dawn?"

"Dawn was made from Buffy," Faith realized, "so when she set foot in this dimension-"

"Whatever the Powers did to change me happened to her. Only, instead of it happening gradually, it happened all at once and overwhelmed her. That's why she's unconscious - her body is adjusting to its new condition. Once it does, she'll be fine."

"Well, that's good news," Xander remarked, looking to his friend. "So, after the whole Naboo thing, you joined the Jedi?"

"Much to their chagrin, yeah," Buffy replied. "Both Ani and I were much older than normal for Jedi recruits."

"Children are taken in by the order before their second birthday at the latest," Obi-Wan explained. "The less emotional connection a Jedi has to anybody, the less chance they will fall into darkness..."

"That's barbaric!" Giles exclaimed.

"That's exactly what the Watcher's Council does," Buffy pointed out calmly. "Remember Kendra?"

"The Council has changed, Buffy. But I think we should discuss that later," Giles conceded. "Still…"

"Still nothing," Buffy interrupted. "They thought Anakin was a Prophecy boy, meant to bring balance to the Force. And we had an attachment, but since I was Force-sensitive and trained as a Slayer to boot they decided to take me in as well. Figured I could keep him on track. Plus… I kinda figured I owed it to Qui-Gon. I mean, I had the vision, but I still couldn't save him…"

"Alive, he is," Yoda suddenly spoke quietly, but loud enough to be heard by the Slayer.

"What?"

"At the Senate, he was," Yoda explained. "Saved me from Darth Sidious, he did. Darth Sidious called him a clone…"

Obi-Wan was beyond stunned. "But why? Why clone a Jedi Knight who died thirteen years ago?"

* * *

Several hours later, an exhausted Padmé lay in the infirmary, a happy smile on her face as she held her new daughter Leia even as Anakin leaned back in his chair holding his son, Luke. Anakin looked down on his son in wonder. 

"He's so small," he remarked. Padmé just watched, tears in her eyes. In that moment, she was the happiest woman in the whole galaxy. Her happiness was tinged by sadness as she saw his haunted eyes look up at her.

"You're leaving again, aren't you?" she asked. Anakin nodded. "For how long?"

"Not as long as you're fearing, Padmé," Anakin replied gently. "I need to go back to Coruscant one last time."

"Master Yoda faced Palpatine and even he-"

"Not for Palpatine. For the Jedi I left behind. I broke free, Padmé," he said urgently, "I allowed several to escape. And now I have to go back for them. I won't let them be hunted down by Palpatine's clones. Not if I can help it."

Padmé nodded in understanding. "You'll need a fast ship."

Anakin smirked, showing a hint of his old cocky self. "I got the fastest ship in the galaxy."

**TBC…**

Sorry this took so long to get up- I've been busy spoiling myself for X3. As for future chapters- Chapter 16 is being beta'd, 17 is in the pipeline, and the final three chapters just need to be written. Hopefully I can keep to my once a week posting, but there may be some gaps now.

After this is over, I am going to take a break from posting for a bit. During the break, I'll continue to work on Light Brigade, I'll start on Episode 4, and I'll also be starting work on 'Finding Avalon' and my much-delayed series 'Chronicles of the Red Witch', a Buffy/X-Men crossover that I've had in mind for a while.

Next chapter will be the reunion, and Anakin heads back to Coruscant to bring back the last of the Jedi (and Faith tags along!)


	17. Chapter 16: Across the Stars Reprise

**Episode 3 Chapter 16**

**Across the Stars (Reprise)

* * *

**

The meeting broke up shortly after Yoda's revelation about Qui-Gon, and everybody seemed to go their separate ways for the time being.. Obi-Wan headed off with Yoda to discuss the future of the Order, while Xander went to sit with Willow until she woke up. Buffy took Giles on a tour of the facility, partly as a way to get some time to catch up with him. And Faith just wandered, doing her best to let everything sink in. She ended up sitting on the edge of a small fountain oblivious to the Jedi and Polis Massans that wandered around her.

Even now, knowing what Buffy had been through, she still found it hard to reconcile the Buffy she'd known with the one she saw now. The old Buffy wouldn't have killed any human; yet this one killed on instinct. She thought back to the Slayer dream she had a few months ago. _You are the strongest person I know, Buffy. Hell, I wanted to be like you ever since I met you. _She couldn't help but wonder now- did she really want to be like her anymore?

Faith was brought out of her musings as a tall figure grabbed her attention. She watched as Anakin swiftly yet silently moved though the crowds, taking care not to attract attention to himself as eh headed for the hanger. Her curiosity piqued, he adjusted the Scythe on her back and quickly moved after him. She arrived at the hangar just as the Jedi quickly moved up the boarding ramp to the _Millennium Falcon_.

_Buffy really cares about this guy. _Faith thought to herself. _And she'd never let us hear the end of it if something happened to him, I bet._ Her mind made up, she ran into the hangar and jumped into the ship just as the ramp started to close. Moments later, the _Millennium Falcon_ lifted off, bound for Coruscant.

* * *

"So Sunnydale doesn't exist anymore"

"No. It's a lake now."

Giles and Buffy walked aimlessly throughout the complex as the Watcher tried to catch Buffy up with what had happened on Earth.

"And now there are a bunch of Slayers?"

"A couple hundred now, all over the world." Giles confirmed. "Though right now there are about 160 Slayers at the new Council headquarters."

"In London."

"Yes. After the destruction of the old Council, a group of surviving and retired Watchers got together to reform the Council. Though Faith and I are striving to change their perceptions."

"How bad are they?" Buffy asked. "As bad a Travers?"

"Worse, at times." Giles admitted. "Though Sir Nigel did give this mission his blessing."

"Probably because all of his problem children left in one fell swoop." Buffy reasoned.

"Perhaps." They walked in silence for a time, with Buffy silently sneaking looks at her mentor. Finally when the silence got to much to bear, she spoke.

"You're having a hard time with this, aren't you? And I'm not talking about the whole space deal."

Giles nodded after a moment's hesitation. "You've changed a great deal, Buffy. In some respects, I don't recognize you."

Buffy nodded. "I can understand that, Giles. I really can. But I need you to realize this- It's been fifteen years for me. I've lost so much over the years- friends, family… it's changed me."

"As has this Jedi business."

Buffy looked over Giles with a wry expression. "What, you think they brainwashed me?" At his silence, she laughed outright. "Oh god, you really do! Oh, god…believe me Giles, if I was a model Jedi Master, I'd be more like you."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"All tweed and stiff-upper-lippy." She replied with a straight face. After a few moments, both broke out into laughter. Finally, Buffy tugged on his arm. "Come with me. I want to show you something." The two walked down the halls till they reached a room brimming with computers and stacked holocrons.

"Master Skywalker!" a voice called out in surprise, and Buffy grinned when Olee Starstone moved out of the stacks into view.

"Olee Starstone, I'd like you to meet Rupert Giles, my Watcher. Giles, this is Padawan Olee Starstone, who's in charge of my little project."

"Your Watcher? Oh- he's the one who trained you initially, correct?" the Padawan asked, and Buffy nodded. Starstone extended her hand to Giles, who shook it firmly. "Buffy's spoken of you often, Mister Giles. And may I say that you trained her well- I've learned a lot from her which she says you taught her."

"Oh!" Giles exclaimed in surprise. "Um, well…I'm glad that she learned enough to pass on." He shook his head in disbelief. "To be honest, I didn't even think she ever paid attention to me."

"On occasion, Giles. But only on occasion." Buffy chuckled. "Olee, I want you to show Giles here the history of the Jedi." She turned to give Giles an earnest look. "Maybe by learning about what I'm a part of, you can start to understand what I've become."

Giles considered that for a moment, before nodding in agreement. "Very well. What will you be doing?"

"Saying hello to my sister."

* * *

Dawn groaned as consciousness slowly returned to her. She slowly sat up and put her hand to her throbbing temple. "Oy…what a headache…" Slowly Dawn opened her eyes and took in her surroundings.

It was a clean room, with bare minimum of furniture that just screamed 'hospital' to Dawn. While she had never shared her sister's fear of hospitals, she wasn't that fond of them. Still, it didn't seem to be the medical wing at the Council, so she assumed the portal worked. But if it did, where…

She gasped as she saw the tall window next to her bed- and the starfield beyond it. Millions of stars… and asteroids… and was that a spaceship flying off into the distance? She was so caught up with the starscape that she never registered the familiar presence that came to stand in the doorway.

"Quite the view, huh?"

Dawn froze. It had been three years since she had last heard that voice ask that very same question. Slowly, she turned from the window towards the source of the voice-

-And saw her sister.

She was older, more worn than the last time she had seen her, a vision in her room shortly after the Tower, but it was Buffy. After three years, she had finally done it. She had found her sister. Slowly, she moved towards her.

"Oh god, Buffy…."

Buffy closed the distance between the, and wrapped her arms around Dawn, drawing her into a hug.

"I'm here, Dawnie. I'm really here."

"I can't believe it." Dawn breathed. Buffy sniffed and pulled away slightly, holding Dawn at arm's length to get a look at her. Her long brown hair was even longer than she remembered it- nearly down to the middle of her back. There were a few more worry lines around her blue eyes, but she seemed fit. She also seemed a foot taller than her.

"Must everyone in this family be taller than me?" she choked out. Dawn looked at her for a moment, then laughed. She bent down and kissed Buffy on the forehead, earning a mock scowl from her sister. "Very funny."

"Well, you do set yourself up for these things…"

"You look good, Dawn."

"You look…old." Dawn tried to joke, but fell flat. "How long…"

"Fifteen years." Buffy admitted hesitantly. "Why don't we sit down? We have a lot to talk about."

* * *

Anakin sat back in the Falcon's cockpit, watching light swirl in front of the canopy as the ship flew through hyperspace. He was more tired than he had ever been in his life, he thought. The elation of becoming a father was dampened by the fact that his hands were covered in the blood of his fellow Jedi, and the fact that the survivors were now homeless and hunted.

_Where do we go from here? _He wondered. _And what will happen with my children?_

"So I've got to ask- Where are you going?"

The voice snapped Anakin back into reality, as he jumped up to face the intruder- and came face to face with Faith.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded. Faith shrugged her shoulders, moving into the cockpit and plopping down in the co-pilot's chair.

"I got no freaking clue, A-K. Just thought that Buff would be pissed if you didn't get back in one piece. So I thought I'd back you up."

"You have no idea what you're getting yourself into." Anakin ground out. Faith sighed in frustration.

"Look, Anakin. I messed up big time with Buffy the first time around…"

"I know." The Jedi interrupted. "Buffy told me all about you."

"Oh." Faith replied, not knowing exactly what to say to that.

"She also told me that, from what she gathered from your conversation a few years ago, that you turned out okay. She said that she felt she would have been proud of you, had she still been in Sunnydale."

Faith had to fight back tears as she heard the praise she had longed for during her first stint in Sunnydale. Blinking rapidly, she leaned forward in her chair. "That's why I can't afford to mess things up again, A-K. I'm going to watch your back, and I'm going to make sure you make it back."

"You don't know what you're getting yourself into." He argued. Faith chuckled.

"I never do. Part of the job." She replied, sitting back once more. "Now, you gonna tell me where we're going?"

Anakin sighed in defeat and settled back into the pilot's chair. "To Coruscant. I managed to break Traya's control long enough to allow a Jedi to take several younglings away. I told her to take them to a safe place."

"And do you have any idea where to look?"

Anakin nodded. "Right now, there is probably only one safe place for a Jedi to go." He smiled at Faith. "Dex's Dinner."

* * *

They spent hours talking. Just talking about things of little importance, really. Dawn told Buffy about how her classes were going, how Watcher's training was progressing. She told her about her love life- or rather, lack of one, to which Buffy silently expressed relief. She wasn't quite ready for her little sister to be dating just yet, dedpite their years apart.

Likewise, Buffy told Dawn about her years of training at the Jedi Temple- her apprenticeship under Mace Windu, learning how to wield the Force, her Trials, and her run ins with various people, from Chancellor Palpatine to Master Jorus C'baoth. She even showed Dawn her lightsaber, much to Dawn's delight. Her story tapered off as she got to her time or Corellia. The pain still fresh in her mind. Dawn noticed something was wrong, and gently brushed her artificial arm. "You've been through a lot, haven't you?"

Buffy smiled weakly and flexed her mechanical fingers. "That's not the half of it. There's a lot…things that hurt to even think about…I had a daughter." She finally blurted out. Dawn gaped at her sister- that was the last thing she had expected to hear. "I got trapped on Corellia and met a man named Jacen. He already had a son, Han, but his wife had died after childbirth. We fell in love… we were engaged to be married, but we were going to wait until Corellia had been freed. We had a daughter; I named her Joyce. I think she would have looked a lot like you, had she grown up." She swiftly got up and walked to the window, looking out at the stars as the tears she had held in for so long fell freely. "They were all killed several weeks ago when Traya ordered an all out attack on Corellia."

"Buffy…" Dawn whispered, rising and moving to her sister, wrapping her arms around her to comfort the grieving mother.

"So much has been going on, I've been able to block it out…but with everything that's happened…with Anakin, you all showing up…I can't….I just can't…"

She turned into Dawn's embrace, burying her head in her sisters shoulder. And at long last, Buffy Summers-Skywalker, Slayer and Jedi Master, finally let it all go and broke down in her sister's arms.

* * *

"Preparing to come out of hyperspace." Anakin announced, reaching forward for the hyperdrive control. Faith quickly sat down in the co-pilots chair again and strapped in as he pushed the lever forward. "Here we go…welcome to Coruscant."

Faith gaped at the sight before her. The planet before her didn't appear to have any greenery- instead it was all silver and the concentric circles of the cities shining in the darkness of space. "The Lines of space ships veered into the planet ahead of the, and Anakin maneuvered the Falcon into the lane with practiced ease. In the distance, she saw what looked to be salvage vessels working on the wrecked hulls of massive battleships.

"Separatist Battle ships._Munificent-_class". Anakin explained. "They attacked a few days ago."

Faith looked over to the Jedi with a incredulous look. "What, they get pissed off at the traffic or something?"

"Wait till we hit the actual planet." Anakin replied.

Faith's amazement grew as the Falcon descended thought the upper atmosphere and merged into the main traffic lanes that coursed through the city. She stared at the huge skyscrapers that rose kilometers into the sky and the floating landing platforms. She turned to Anakin to ask about the city, but stopped short at the intense look of concentration on his face.

"Hey, what's wrong A-K?"

"Palpatine is on the planet now." Anakin said shortly. "I'm trying to mask my presence in the Force from him, but it is difficult. He's quite powerful."

"And what happens if he finds out you're here?" the Slayer asked. At his look, she sighed. "Yeah, I get it. Bad things. All right, lets go find your kids."

"Good idea." Anakin replied. "And by the way, would you please stop with that ridiculous nick-name?"

Faith just smiled and whistlesd a happy tune as the _Falcon _descended further into the planet.

* * *

Serra Keto, Jedi Knight and guardian of the last of the Jedi's younglings and Padawans, peered out from behind the store room's door to the diner beyond as a group of Clone Troopers confronted Dex. Drake Lo'agan watched from behind her as the Clone Troopers started to tear the place apart.

"What do we do, Master Keto?" the Padawan asked, burying his fear deep down. Serra smiled grimly.

"I buy you time to find another place to hide, Drake." She said, adjusting the grips on her deactivated lightsabers. I'll open up a hole, and you lead the Younglings though."

"I'm not leaving without you!" the Padawan protested.

"There's no time for arguments!" Serra hissed. Dex can't hold them off for long, and- " she cut off as a presence she hadn't felt since her early days as a Padawan flooded her senses. "It can't be…"

* * *

"I'm telling ya!" Dex shouted hotly as the Clones tore up his diner, roughing up the clients at the same time, "There's no Jedi here! Hey, you can't do that!" He moved to intercept a Clone roughing up one of his regulars, but stopped short when the clone raised his blaster to his face.

"You've been charged with harboring enemies of the state, alien." The Clone sneered. "That means we can do whatever we want."

"Excuse me, gentlemen."

The Clone's spun around to face a lone man standing in the middle of the street. He was adorned in simple Jedi garb, with his long brown hair pulled back in a pony tail. The Jedi ignited his lightsaber, its green blade gleaming thanks to a last-minute switch-out of the Illum crystal from Yoda's lost lightsaber.

"If it's a Jedi you're looking or, I'd say you've found one." Qui-Gon remarked, raising his lightsaber in a salute.

"Jedi scum!" the Clone growled. "Blast him!" The Clones opened fire, their heavy blasters sending bolt after bolt at the reborn Jedi Knight, who easily deflected them. The Clones were so intent on Qui-Gon that they didn't notice twin green blades of energy erupted. Serra used Qui-Gon's diversion to get the drop on several of the Clone troopers.

"Master Qui-Gon!" she shouted, her twin blades flashing as she destroyed blasters and body parts alike. "How…"

"The rumors of my death," Qui-Gon paused to dispatch another clone, "Well, they were fairly accurate. Let's just call this the will of the Force, alright?"

"I'm not arguing!" Serra exclaimed as she finished off the last Clone. "It's good to see you, Master Qui-Gon."

"You as well, Serra. Congratulations on achieving Knighthood."

"Qui-Gon, you old space dog!" Dex laughed. "I heard you were dead!"

"I was…" Qui-Gon trailed off as he spied an incoming pair of troop transports. "We've got incoming!"

"I'll get the children out-" Serra' s voice was cut off as a pair of concussion missiles streaked overhead and slammed one of the transports, destroying it instantly. The other veered off sharply as the Millennium Falcon streaked overhead, banking suddenly and coming down in seconds for a landing. As the ramp lowered the other transport circled around and landed a block away, instantly discharging three squads of the 501st.

"Serra! Get the children on board!" Anakin yelled as he raced down the ramp. He stopped suddenly as he caught sight of his one-time savior. "Master Qui-Gon?"

"It's good to see you again Anakin." The Jedi said warmly. Though perhaps now isn't the best time to catch up."

"Are you okay, Anakin?" Serra asked warily. Anakin nodded.

"I'm myself again." He confirmed. Now get those children on bo-"

A spinning blade brought him up short as it flew past his head and buried itself in a Clone trooper that had raised its weapon at the Jedi.

"Talk later, flyboy!" Faith yelled as she ran out of the ship, the Scythe spinning in her hand. "Let's move!" Anakin cursed as Faith tore into the Clones with her Scythe, dodging blaster bolts as she went. Anakin ignited his blade and moved in after the Slayer as Serra and Drake led the younglings and Padawan's onto the Falcon..

Faith was on auto pilot. She didn't register that the Clones were, in effect, humans; she saw them as a threat and the Slayer in her responded in kind. Even when a blaster bolt grazed her shoulder she didn't stop; she thrust the stake end of the Scythe into the Clone's helmet. Anakin was more subdued in his approach, still haunted by what he had done, but soon the last of the elite troops were on the ground and the two were heading back to the ship. Anakin stopped n front of Dex and gestured towards the Falcon.

"You too, Dex. Nobody gets left behind."

"What about my diner?" the big alien asked, looking forlornly at the smoking ruins of his establishment.

"You stay here, you die, Dex. Come with us. You can rebuild somewhere else."

Dex finally nodded in agreement and hurriedly followed Anakin up the ramp. After a few moments the ramp closed, and the Millennium Falcon lifted off. Anakin ran around the corner and headed down the hall into the cockpit, where Qui-Gon and Serra sat side by side flying the ship through Coruscant's lower levels. He looked down at Faith, who was groaning silently as she rubbed her injured shoulder.

"Are you alright?" he asked her. The Slayer nodded.

"I'll be fine in a few hours. Perks of being a Slayer."

"Another one?" Qui-Gon asked in amazement. Faith chuckled.

"You know, it's been a few years since I heard that…"

"There are plenty of mysteries to go around Master." Anakin said sternly. "For now, let us concentrate on the here and now. What's the situation?"

"They've scrambled fighters," Drake said from the communications console. "V-Wings. Five-oh-First has scrambled two more troop carriers. And the Victory-class Star Destroyer _Revanche_ is on an intercept course. It will reach us before we reach the hyperspace jump point."

"Serra, get the oldest Padawans into the gun turrets." Anakin directed slipping into the pilot's chair as Qui-Gon moved to cover the co-pilots station. Serra was already moving out of the door.

"Understood." She called back, moving down the corridor to the belly turrets. Qui-Gon shook his head.

"Those guns wont make a dent in the _Revanche's_ shields." The elderly Jedi remarked.

"It's all we got, besides the concussion missiles." Anakin replied. "Maybe we can get in a lucky shot."

Faith tuned out the banter and bustle as she studied the sky before her. Even in this life-or-death situation, she couldn't help but be awed by the receding atmosphere, the bright stars of the approaching space- some blocked by the giant orbital mirrors-

"Hey, wait," Faith interrupted, sitting up. "That big-ass ship- does it have windows?"

"Yes." Anakin answered irritably. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, why don't you use your wacky Jedi powers and point one of those big mirrors at it?"

"What possible good could that do?"

"Blind the crew." Qui-Gon realized. "point the mirror directly at the ship, bending the sunlight right at it. The light would blind anybody near a window-"

"It'll fry any lightly-shielded electronics as well." Anakin continued, then sobered. "It's too big for me alone."

"Good thing we got a ship full of you guys then, huh?" Anakin smirked and hit the central comms switch.

"Attention, this is Anakin Skywalker. We have a plan to escape the _Revanche_, but I need everyone's help. Knights, Padawans, Younglings- I need you to reach out to me through the Force. Let me guide you…." Anakin's eye's closed as he reached out with one hand towards the giant orbital mirror with the Force… coaxing it out of its orbit. By himself, he had no chance… but with all of the Jedi on board merging their Force-potential with his, the mirror stood no chance. After a few moments the mirror shook, then started to move. The _Falcon_ shook as the _Revanche_ fired their guns at the smaller ship, but Anakin paid it no heed. He put all of his concentration into the battle meld, urging the mirror to rotate.

Finally, with one last nudge, the mirror finally shifted, and a beam of sunlight shot right at the _Revanche_. On the bridge of the star destroyer the crew yelled in pain as their corneas burned away before they could cover up, and sparks flew from random stations as the EM field from the beam fried the equipment. The _Revanche's_ guns fell silent, and the _Falcon_ streaked by the disabled warship.

A beeping noise brought Drake out of the meld, and he glanced over to the navicomputer. "We are free and clear to navigate. Course plotted."

Anakin slowly opened his eyes, and exhaling engaged the hyperdrive. The stars streaked into lines as the _Falcon_ leapt into hyperspace.

"That was…intense." Drake remarked. Anakin and Qui-Gon nodded.

"Where did you learn to do that?" he asked the younger Jedi.

"I witnessed Master C'baoth perform a demonstration of the battle meld when Master Obi-Wan and I were aboard Outbound Flight. That was the first time I've actually used it, though." Anakin turned to face his former savior. "Now, I think we need to have a conversation."

* * *

Buffy's sobs gradually faded away, and soon the Slayer pulled herself away from the embrace and wiped her eyes. "Look at me, I'm a mess." Buffy joked. "I'm the one whose supposed to be comforting you."

"You've been though hell, Buffy." Dawn remarked. "It's all right to get emotional."

"There is no emotion, there is only peace." Buffy quoted, remembering when Mace went over the Jedi code with her.

Dawn blinked. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

Buffy snorted in laughter, and nodded in agreement. "There's a lot of things in the Jedi Code that I didn't agree with. But in some cases, it does make a strange kind of sense." Buffy looked at her sister, and experimentally she reached out to her with the Force. Almost instantaneously Dawn subconsciously responded, and after a moment surprise registered on her face.

"What the frilly heck was that?"

"Dawn, when the Powers told me they couldn't send me back, they changed me. The magic they used was keyed to my blood, and it helped me become sensitive to the Force, which in turn let me become a Jedi. Well, whatever the Powers did, whatever spell they used, it's still floating around out there."

"And we share the same blood." Dawn realized. "So, what… are you saying I'm a Jedi now?"

"No, you're Force-sensitive. To be a Jedi, you'll need training. Which I plan on giving you." She smiled at her sister. "I'm taking you on as my Padawan learner."

Dawn smiled broadly. "Does that mean I get to make a laser sword?"

Buffy chuckled. "Lightsaber. And you'll make one when you stop asking me when you can make one."

"Awww." Dawn whined playfully, and Buffy smirked.

"You think that's bad, wait till you see how you're going to have to cut your hair." At Dawn's look, Buffy laughed outright. "Come on, enough tears. Let's go meet your brother and his family."

The two sisters left the room and started walking through the base towards the nursery. Dawn looked around in wonder at the sights around her.

"I still can't believe we're in space.: she murmured, glancing at a pair of Padawan's as they walked by. "Nice hair."

"They're Padawans." Buffy explained with a small smile. "The haircut's tradition."

The two walked in silence for a few moments before Dawn stopped cold. "There is no way in hell I'm cutting my hair like that! Do you know how long it took to grow it out!"

Buffy laughed out loud at Dawn's outburst. "Time are changing, sis. But I may just have to make you…"

"Please, you barely reach my shoulders as it is. What makes you think I'll let you near my hair?"

"Great. More short jokes." Buffy muttered, shaking her head. "It was bad enough with Anakin."

"Why?"

"When you see him, you'll know." Buffy replied as they reached the nursery. "Here we are! Padmé, can I come in?" she called through the door. After a few moments she heard a muffled a few moments she heard a muffled _Yes!_ And entered the room with Dawn. The sisters entered, and saw Padmé laying on her bed with Leia in her arms. On the other side of the bed in a small crib lay Luke, who was fast asleep.

"Hello, Buffy." Padmé said, a tired smile on her face. "And you must be Dawn. I've heard a lot about you."

Dawn blinked. "You have?"

"Buffy talks about you often." Padmé replied. "And Anakin always hoped he'd have a chance to meet you."

"Dawn, this is Padmé Ami- er, Skywalker." She amended. "Former senator in the Great Republic, and wife to our brother, Anakin. Padmé, this is my sister, Dawn." The two women exchanged greetings, and Buffy looked around. "Speaking of my wayward brother, where is he?" Buffy asked. "I thought he'd be fawning over the kids."

"He had to step out for a few minutes." Padmé answered evasively. "Would you like to hold your nephew? I've got my hands full here, but I'm sure Luke would like to meet his Aunts."

Buffy smiled as she picked up her tiny nephew. He smile turned sad though as she looked down on him, and she looked to Padmé. "Do you mind if Dawn has a turn?"

"Of course not." The young Senator smiled. Buffy handled the tiny bundle to her younger sister, who carefully took the tiny infant in her arms.

"It's funny," she said at length. "Two days ago, I was an only child with no family left. Today, I got two sisters, a brother, a niece and a nephew."

"It must be a lot to take in." Padmé said kindly. Dawn nodded, smiling down on Luke's sleeping form.

"Just a little."

The three chatted for a few minutes until Obi-Wan entered the room.

"Buffy, there you are." He started, then noticed Dawn standing beside her. "And you're Dawn, Buffy's sister. I'm Obi-Wan Kenobi."

"Nice to meet you. Buffy's told me a little bit about you."

"All good things, I hope." Obi-Wan Joked. Dawn just stared at the Jedi.

"Not really." She said deadpan. Buffy snorted in laughter, which sent Dawn off. Obi-Wan just sighed.

"Great, now there are two of them." He groused, then turned to Padmé. "Padmé, have you seen Anakin?"

Padmé shifted uneasily in her bed. "He had to step out for a few minutes," she repeated. Obi-Wan pieced her with a glare.

"Did 'stepping out' including taking the _Falcon_?"

"The _Falcon's _gone?" Buffy said suddenly, then reached out into the Force. The first thing she realized what that she sensed her brother, but at a distance. The next thing she noticed wasn't though the Force, but through the senses she hadn't used in over fifteen years…

"Faith's gone." She said suddenly. "I never even realized I was feeling her with my Slayer senses, but she's been subtly setting them off since she got here."

"That happens between Slayers." Dawn explained. "It's kind of like a Slayer radar. You probably didn't notice because it wouldn't feel like a threat, like a vampire or demon would."

So Anakin's far away, but getting closer; and Faith's MIA." Buffy whirled to face Padmé. "Padmé, where in the frilly heck have they gone?"

Padmé sighed in defeat. "I don't know about anyone named Faith, but Anakin took he _Falcon _on an errand he needed to do."

"To where" Obi-Wan asked.

"To Coruscant."

"_BUN tyen-shung duh ee-DWAY-RO!_" Buffy exclaimed, causing all parties in the room to flinch.

"Jeeze, Buffy! Not in front of the kids!" Dawn exclaimed. Buffy paused a beat and looked over her sister.

"You understood that?" she asked incredulously. Dawn shrugged.

"Got the basic gist. Whatever it was sounds a lot like Mandarin. I filled in the blanks myself."

"You know Mandarin?"

"I know 6 languages now, and speak four of them fluently."

"Buffy, just calm down and listen!" Padmé exclaimed, exasperated. "Ani told me he managed to break free from Traya long enough to let several Jedi escape. He had to go back and get them!"

Buffy was about to reply when Obi-Wan's comlink beeped. He answered it, then looked to Buffy.

"The _Falcon _has arrived. With guests." Buffy reached out, and sure enough felt both Anakin and Faith in the direction of the hanger. She nodded.

"Well Dawn, you'll get to meet your brother… right before I kill him."

* * *

Buffy stalked towards the hangar, careful to keep her anger under control. Anger led to the Dark Side, and that wasn't where she wanted to go. No, she was planning a one way trip for her and Anakin to the Smackdown Hotel.

Walking behind her, Dawn watched Buffy with amusement. "Some things never change."

"You mean she was always like this?" Obi-Wan inquired. Dawn nodded.

"If anything, I think she's calmed down. She used to be much worse."

Buffy entered the hanger and saw a group of younglings and Padawans being led down by Serra Keto. Buffy stalked right past them to her brother, who was walking down the ramp-

-Whom she promptly slugged.

"_Nee TZAO ss-MA? Nee-YOW wuh-KAI CHANG?_" she yelled at him, causing all heads to turn towards the two siblings.

"Buffy, calm down." Anakin pleaded, shifting on his feet.

"Calm down? I am calm. I'm relaxed. I'm full of fucking serenity. What the hell were you thinking going back there?"

"I couldn't leave them behind, Buffy!" Anakin exploded. "I killed so many of our colleagues, our friends; I couldn't just abandon them!"

Buffy was about to reply, but caught movement out of the corner of her eye and spun to face Faith, who was trying to make a discreet exit. "And what the hell did you think you were doing?"

Faith sighed. "I was watching his back. I wanted to make sure he came back in one piece. Which he did, so chalk one up on the 'Yeah Me' column."

"Anakin did just as you would have done, Master Skywalker." A voice spoke from inside the ship. Buffy turned to see Qui-Gon walk down he ramp, a small smile playing on his lips. "He risked his safety for those in need. Will you tell me now that you wouldn't have done the same thing?"

Buffy crossed her arms in annoyance. "I would have gown with back-up. And don't think you can shock me with the whole 'coming back from the dead' thing. I've pulled that one on more than one occasion."

While Buffy was dealing with being a higher rank than the man who had freed her thirteen years ago, Anakin walked passed her down to the end of the ramp towards a hesitant-looking Dawn.

"Hello," he greeted awkwardly, extending his hand. "I'm Anakin. Buffy's told me a lot about you."

Dawn took the proffered hand, then seemed to make up her mind and drew him into a familial hug. "It's nice to meet you, too. I'm looking forward to getting to know my new brother."

Any sense of fear Anakin had evaporated at those words, and he returned the hug in earnest. The two pulled away, smiling at the understanding forming between them, and Anakin glanced over to Buffy, who stood farther up the ramp talking with Qui-Gon, and smiled. Dawn looked at the smile quizzically, then looked to Buffy as well- and snorted in laughter. Buffy, who had remained oblivious to the two, looked at the pair suspiciously.

"What?"

Anakin smirked. "Oh, nothing. I was just thinking that this would probably be the only time you could look either of us in the eye."

Buffy looked to Anakin, then to Dawn, who now stood just as tall as her brother…then looked down, to see she was about three feet off of the ground on the ramp. She turned her glare back to her brother, who was having the first real laugh he had had since becoming Traya's slave.

"Very funny."

"Do not be sad, Master Skywalker." Yoda said as he entered the room. "Remember: size matters not."

Buffy stared at the tiny Jedi as her two sibling burst into laughter. "Oh, HELL no. Tell me _you_ aren't making short jokes about _me_!"

Yoda chuckled for a moment, then grew serious. "Called a meeting of the Senior Jedi, I have. Plan our next moves, we must."

"I'll gather the Scoobies there, as well. I think they'll need to sit in on this meeting as well." Buffy remarked. "Serra," she called out to the young Knight, "Gather the Younglings and put them with the rest for now. They're with Master Secura- help her watch over them."

"Yes, Master Skywalker." She replied. "Children, gather around and come with me." Buffy watched them leave, then turned back to Qui-Gon. "Ready to announce yourself?"

"No time like the present." He replied with a smile. Buffy nodded and turned to Yoda.

"Alright then. Lead on, Mac-"

Buffy was cut off as Xander stumbled into the room. His clothes were disheveled, his hair askew, and a small cut had opened at his scalp.

"Xander!" Buffy cried out as Dawn and Faith both rushed to his side. "What happened.?"

Xander took a moment to catch his breath, then looked up at Buffy with a small, triumphant smile.

"Darth Traya's dead, Buffy." He announced. "Willow's back."

* * *

TBC

Good GOD I had a bitch of a time writing this chapter! Two flippin weeks! Sorry about the delay in posting, but the holiday came about, I just kinda got backlogged. Right now chapter 17 is being beta'd,a dn I'm hard at work on Chapter 18. After that, only two more chapters- In Chapter 19, we find out what Darth Sidious is up to, and in Chapter 20, the gang heads home.

See you in a week!


	18. Chapter 17: Willow Reborn

**Episode 3 chapter 17**

**Willow Reborn

* * *

**

As consciousness returned to Darth Traya, the first thing she noticed was her powers seemed to be gone. Bound by Giles more than likely, Traya thought. Fortunately for her, witchcraft was no longer the sole source of her power.

"Good morning," a familiar voice called out. "Or should I say good evening. Hard to keep track of time in space."

Traya opened her eyes and gazed upon the face of her - of Willow's - oldest friend. "Well, well, well. The whelp. They must really be desperate to send you in here."

"You'll have to forgive the restraints," he said, motioning to the straps that held her down, "but they thought you might try something if you were free. Oh your arm. If you behave, you might even get a cool bionic arm like Buff's."

"Joy," the Sith replied sarcastically.

Xander smiled tightly. "Thought you'd like that. Now, why don't you let me talk to Willow, mm-kay? "

"And why would I let you do that?" Traya asked. "Do you plan on boring us with your stories of our past life together?"

"Hey, they're good stories!" Xander defended. "I especially liked the one about the yellow crayon."

"Willow doesn't exist, you insipid moron," Traya ground out. "There is only Darth Traya."

"No… Darth Traya is an aberration," Xander shot back. "A figment of Willow's imagination that she conjured up to spare her the pain of what she was doing. Well guess what, Will - it's time to face up. Now, come on out and play."

Traya scoffed. "You just don't get it, do you? Willow was weak. A pathetic little slip of a girl who let others walk all over her 'for the good of everyone else'. She let Xiazan touch her, just to spare a few pathetic slave girls' lives."

"That's called 'humanity'."

"It's called 'stupidity'," Traya corrected. "Do you know how many times she – I – could have escaped? How much suffering I could have spared myself? But no - I had to worry about the others and in return I was whored out. And the truly ironic part - they all died anyways! I ask you, what was the use?"

"Willow was doing the right thing," Xander retorted. "Willow always did everything in her power to help others before she would even think of helping herself. That isn't a bad thing."

"Power. Ha!" Traya scoffed. "Her power was insignificant to what I am now capable of."

"Yeah, so I hear. You're big on the dark mojo now, aren't you? Big, bad Darth Rosenberg, terror of the galaxy," Xander shot back mockingly. "Still managed to get your ass handed to you… by a so-called Jedi."

Traya's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You have no idea what you are talking about, boy. You have no idea of the powers I now possess."

"What powers?" Xander retorted. "Were your new powers enough to beat Buffy? Huh? Were they enough to get you back home to Tara? You remember Tara, don't you? That girl you used to love?"

Traya flinched when Xander said Tara's name, but did her best to hide it. "Love is a weakness."

Xander wasn't fooled. "Is that what you tell yourself every night as you go to sleep alone? Is that what you tell yourself when you think of Tara?"

"Don't mention that name," Traya growled. "You don't have the right to say it."

Xander saw his opening. He realized the dangers, but if he could get her angry enough…

"What, Tara? Your ex-girlfriend? The love of your life? Oops, sorry. Forgot how you feel about love…"

"I spent years looking for a way back to her, that I might open the doorway home," Traya replied coldly.

"Then what - you decided the power was much more enticing than returning home to your soul mate?"

"It was so much more enticing!" Traya shrieked, her voice echoing in the cell. "Tara was as weak as Willow! The power Dooku and Sidious showed me, you have no idea how much better it felt! I was untouchable!"

"And it's better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven, right?"

"We were little more than grunts forced to fight the Slayer's war on a Hellmouth, Xander! Sidious showed me my true potential. I wouldn't be reigning in hell, Xander. I would be ruling a galaxy!"

"Yeah. Sorry that didn't work out for you," Xander replied. "Look where that power got you - missing a hand, tied down to a bed - say, did that Xiazan guy like to tie you down?"

Traya was shaking with barely suppressed rage. "Don't talk about it."

Xander waved her off. "You're right, none of my concern. And you know what - if you want to rule the galaxy, who am I to stop you? It's not as if you have anything to go back for now, anyway…"

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, nothing. Besides, you don't even believe in love anymore..."

"Tell me," Traya's obsidian gaze was cold, but there was something other than rage expressed in their endless depths. There was curiosity, longing, lust…

"Tara moved on," Xander said simply. "Got herself a new girlfriend. And a new everything else. Can't say I blame her, looking at you now, looking at how utterly pathetic you are. I mean, look at you! Not even a whole woman anymore, doing nothing more than sucking the life out of everything you touch! You're nothing more than a Vampi-ack!"

Xander's voice was cut off as an unseen force began to choke him. He stared in shock as purple bolts of electricity started to dance around and over Willows form, snapping the restraints one at a time. After only a few moments Darth Traya rose from the bed, her one good hand outstretched towards the horrified Xander.

"You _dare_ judge me!" she screamed. "You dare to compare me to a vampire!"

She swung her hand towards the far wall and sent Xander flying into it. The young man's head impacted with the wall, opening a small cut on his forehead and causing him to see stars. He moaned as his feet hit the floor, the staggering affect of the blow sending him to his knees.

"_Everything_ I did, I did it for her! That ungrateful bitch!" Once again she reached out with the Force and used it to fling Xander back across the room, where he impacted once again with the wall. "All I ever wanted was to go back, to share this with her! I spent _years_ looking for a way!"

"She wouldn't want you _now_, Will," Xander sighed, forcing himself to his feet and meeting her gaze dead-on. "She loved you more than anything and never, _never_ did she stop looking for a way to save you. But she loved Willow. She wouldn't… she couldn't love a murderer. You're a monster, Will."

"I'LL SHOW YOU A MONSTER!" Traya screamed, letting loose with a blast of Force lightening. It struck Xander squarely in the chest, sending him back against the wall where he writhed in pain. It only lasted for a moment before she ended it, a deeply satisfied look crossing her pale face.

"What happened to you, Willow? Why would you do this to yourself? Why can't you understand that Willow was stronger and more powerful than you'll ever be?" He cried out as he stood up, blood running freely from his face.

Willow blinked at him, her dark gaze penetrating. She didn't move nor did she release her powers again. She seemed to be listening to him. Feeling emboldened, Xander ploughed on.

"Is this what you want? Is this what you really, truly want?"

A painful look was crossing her face. As she struggled to take a breath, she felt her powers surging through her body, her mind screaming to kill the young man standing in front of her. But… did she want to?

"It's what I am," she said at last, her breath raspy and strangled.

"It doesn't have to be. Instead of using that power for yourself, you could use it for good, like the Willow I knew would have done."

"Then you didn't know me at all." The next blast struck Xander in the chest, throwing him back into a wall. But instantly she released it as she suddenly saw the man she was attacking…

"Xan-Xander? Oh, god...no…What …"

"Is that what you want, Will? You want to kill me? You're doing a great job with the torture just because I don't agree with you…"

"I…_no_!" Traya snarled, using the Force to lift Xander to his feet. "I spent years getting raped and tortured… _no more_! No man will ever touch me again without my consent! No one will dare lift a finger against me! I have the power!"

"At what cost!" Xander roared back. "Your humanity? Your life? No one has the right to touch you if you don't want them to, Willow… But nothing gives you the right to kill!"

"You don't know what I've been through!" Traya retorted, almost desperately. Xander could tell Darth Traya was starting to fade away as her voice slowly returned to normal. "You don't know the pain... the humiliation… the suffering…I couldn't deal with it…I couldn't….I couldn't…I had to push it away. It had to go _away!_"

"What about right now, right here?" Xander asked, coming to stand right in front of her. "What about me?"

"Xander…" The single word, his own name, broke his heart. It was the tiniest voice and with it came pain and the voice of a woman he knew and loved with everything he was. Her eyes gazed into his. The violent spark of black light was gone, replaced by her solemn green gaze.

"I see you, Will. I see you better than anyone."

Traya felt as though she were finally losing grip on reality. As she receded, a familiar thought crept into her head – the horror of what she had seen and the actions done by her own hands. At once, it overwhelmed her. "Oh, my God…"

"I'm here, Willow." She felt his reassuring hands grasp her shoulders. But she couldn't look at him. Wouldn't look at it. Everything she had been through… everything she had done… how she had hurt her friends, her sister, her soul…

How high the price had been… and how high it would be to reclaim the part of her soul forever stolen by the darkness of the power of the Sith.

"Oh, God…"

His strong arms wrapped around her shoulders as her face collapsed onto his shoulder. His bruised, bloodied fingers stroked her dark hair. "When it all comes down to it," he breathed into her ear, "love is never a weakness. Guess that's something the Sith didn't teach you."

She drew in a sharp breath, barely managing to raise her fingers to clasp his biceps as he buried his face in her hair. "What have I done?"

"Just let it out, Will. Just let it out."

At that moment, it was all she could do not to scream out as she collapsed in agony, her body shaking with sobs. Every face of her victims flashed before her eyes. Her mind taunted with the dark promises of both Sith lords who had her wrapped in their fingers. "What have I… what have I… what…?"

"I love you, Willow."

She heard the tears in his voice, felt the moisture in her hair. As she sobbed brokenly in his arms, she felt the warmth and comfort of her long-lost friend.

"I love you… I always have. I always will. You'll always be the sweet red who broke the yellow crayon and cried."

She struggled to smile through her tears as she raised her head. Xander's hand swept across her forehead, locks of brilliant red hair falling into her eyes; his smile softened as he saw the unbidden fear.

"No more hiding, okay? I love you just the way you are. We all do."

Willow felt the tears returned and bit her lip as they tricked down her cheek. "How can you love me?" she asked, a mere shadow of the Dark Lady she had been just five minutes ago.

"You're not a monster, Will. We slayed monsters together, remember?"

She moaned as she glanced away from him. His gentle hand took her face and tilted her gaze to meet his. "You're still Willow. You're still _my _Willow. I love you more than anything. And so does Tara."

"But, you said—"

"I know what I said," Xander said, keeping his hand on her tear-stained face. "She may have moved on, but her heart still belongs to you. It will always belong to you. How can love be a weakness when so many of us love you enough to save you from yourself?"

"You risked your life to come in here," Willow murmured, the guilt pouring from her pained words. "I could have killed you."

"I know. But I also knew you wouldn't. We've been through so much together. You're my girl."

She felt the guilt rise up within her again and fell to the ground, Xander's arms wrapping against around her shoulders. "What do I do now?"

"Now… things are going to get hard. I won't lie to you… but there's a lot to face, a lot of pieces to pick up. And yes, there's even Tara."

Willow flinched as though she'd been burned. "How can I face her after all I've done? How can I—"

"You'll find a way, Will," Xander said, the old confidence in his voice, his single eye gleaming with great effort. "You have to find a way."

* * *

While the twins slept, Padmé dreamed.

She dreamed of the plains of Naboo, where Sola had her home. She watched in awe as a grown Ryoo and Pooja walked out of the house, with who could only be Leia between them. She looked to be barely twenty, her long brown hair trussed up into two elegant buns set on either side of her head and dressed in a simple white gown. The three were talking amongst themselves, though Padmé couldn't hear what they were actually saying. Nonetheless, they were all business talking in such a way that reminded Padmé of her times dealing with the other Senators in the Senate. In an instant, the scene shifted to a familiar, sun-baked planet as a young boy, no older than twenty sulked out of a hut and stood on a sand bank, staring out at the land as the twin suns set. She looked closely at the boy, and gasped in recognition. He had his father's hair, his jaw, but her eyes… it was unmistakably Luke, as he would be in the future.

"You got a couple of good-lookin' kids there, Senator."

Padmé started at the voice, and turned to face a garishly dressed man standing next to her, looking at the boy impassively.

"Who are you?" she demanded. "What am I seeing?"

"My name's Whistler, doll. And I think you already know what you're looking at."

"Whistler… I know that name…" Suddenly, she turned to glare at the balance demon. "Buffy mentioned you. And how cowardly you were in not breaking the news to her yourself."

Whistler just shrugged. "I'm a lover, not a fighter. And I ain't crazy, either. I know when to avoid the Slayer."

"So what're you doing here, Whistler?"

"I'm here with a message from the Powers."

Padmé looked at the balance demon in confusion. "I think you have the wrong person."

Whistler shook his head. "No, I really don't," he replied. He snapped his fingers…

And suddenly, they were standing in space above Tatooine as a small Corellian Corvette, much like Bail's ship, sped past, firing on a massive triangular-shaped vessel that was mercilessly pounding the smaller ships shields. Padmé thought it vaguely resembled a Venator-class Star Destroyer, but it was much more massive and gleaming white.

Images started flashing past more rapidly now. A huge, planet-sized space station let loose with a blast of brilliant green energy that annihilated the planet below it. Huge capital ships, that were dwarfed by an even larger blue and black painted ship, chased what appeared to be the _Millennium Falcon_ into an asteroid belt. Mon Cal Starcruisers, converted to battleships, engaged the white capital ships at point-blank range as dozens of starfighters of configurations that looked vaguely familiar, but that she had never seen before.

The views suddenly changed from ships to people as she saw her daughter being tortured by some kind of probe droid as a terrifying man in black armor and a mask that she knew would give her nightmares for weeks to come. She saw her son facing off against a woman whose red hair and green eyes instantly reminded her of Willow… and there was Willow, fighting the same girl in pristine white halls, even as Buffy desperately fought off a crazed man with a red-tinted lightsaber and flowing white beard...

She watched as that same armored (man?) faced down her son on a catwalk, high above a seemingly bottomless pit, his red lightsaber clashing with Luke's blue blade…

She saw Leia, standing next to a tall Wookie and a dark-haired girl who looked slightly like Dawn cry as a scruffy-looking man was lowered into a carbon-freezing pit…

She saw Luke again, facing off in a darkened room against the masked man…with Anakin?

The hair was a bit shorter and there were a few more lines around his eyes, but it was unmistakably Anakin, still in his prime, fighting side by side with his son…and then she saw herself, only looking a few years older, fighting side by side with Leia, holding off Clone Troopers at the entrance to a bunker while Dawn plunged her blue lightsaber into the door, slowly melting it away, even as the Troopers overran their position…

"What is this?" Padmé demanded. "What are you showing me?"

"The future, sweetheart," he replied calmly. "This is what may happen. What probably will happen. Most people don't get heads up like these, Padmé. But the Powers felt that you needed one."

"And why is that?" Padmé asked, already sensing the answer.

"Because," Whistler continued calmly, "in order to save the future and the Republic you hold so dear, you and Anakin need to leave. And where you're going, you can't take your children with you."

**TBC

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**  
A/N**: 226 **reviews... and I'm not even done yet. I just may make 250 before this is all over. Even though I haven't responded to everybody since the ban on story-printed replies, I do want you all to know that I have read every review, and I thank you all for your support.

Next chapter- the final Council convenes and decisions are made- as are sacrifices.


	19. Chapter 18: The Last Council

**Episode 3 Chapter 18**

**The Last Council

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**

_Xander stumbled into the room. His clothes were disheveled; his hair askew and a small cut had opened at his scalp._

"_Xander!" Buffy cried out as Dawn and Faith both rushed to his side. "What happened?"_

_Xander took a moment to catch his breath, then looked up at Buffy with a small, triumphant smile._

"_Darth Traya's dead, Buffy," he announced. "Willow's back."

* * *

_

"What do you mean?" Anakin asked darkly, a glower forming on his face. Buffy shot him a warning look before turning back to Xander.

"Are you sure?" she asked. Xander nodded.

"Yeah, I'm sure. She threw me around a bit before she finally cracked, but-"

"Wait - I thought Giles bound her powers," Buffy mused, looking to her Watcher who had arrived earlier.

"I did."

Buffy looked thoughtful for a moment and then smacked herself on the side of the head. "Of course," she reasoned, "if the Powers could use magic to enable me to access the Force, what's to say she couldn't figure out how to do it to herself?"

"So you're saying she's a Jedi?" Xander asked and then stepped back when Anakin whirled on him.

"She is NOT a Jedi!"

"ANAKIN!" Buffy shouted. As the young Jedi struggled to get his temper under control, Buffy put a hand on his arm. "Go be with your family. Padmé seemed a bit upset about something - go be with her." Anakin nodded and then stalked out of the room, still glowering. "Ben, gather the Masters in the conference room. Giles, you and the Scoobies go, too. Time to make some introductions, I think."

"And where are you going?" Giles asked as she moved to leave the room. Buffy stopped and glanced over her shoulder.

"To see Willow."

* * *

Buffy walked down the hall, passed the room where she had finally reconnected with her sister towards the cell that held the former Sith Lord. Without even knocking she hit the access panel and the door slid aside. Taking a calming breath, the Slayer cautiously entered the room. Looking around, she saw the huddled form of her former friend, curled up in the far corner of the room. 

"Hello, Willow."

The witch lifted her head, her red hair spilling over her bloodshot eyes. Her cheeks were still moist with the tears she had shed.

"Are you here to kill me?" the broken girl asked weakly. Buffy considered her for a moment before answering.

"No, I'm not."

"Why not?"

"Because I spent nearly three years hoping that I could somehow get you back, Will," Buffy said with a sigh. "I hoped, I prayed. Even when I was trapped on Corellia, I still had hope that Anakin or Padmé could get though to you.

"And then you went and attacked Corellia," Buffy continued, her voice hardening. Willow seemed to shrink back even further into the corner. "I'm not going to kill you, Willow, because that would be a mercy. And I can think of no more adequate punishment for what you've done than to live a long, healthy life remembering it all."

"I've saved you, Willow," she finished, turning to leave. She stopped at the door and looked behind her one last time. "But I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive you." And with that she walked out and closed the door, leaving Willow to cry fresh tears in private.

* * *

A short time later, Buffy and the Scoobies sat in the glass-walled conference room with the surviving Jedi Masters, Anakin and Padmé. 

"I believe everyone is here, Master Yoda," Obi-Wan said from his place besides the aged Jedi Master. Yoda nodded.

"Then we shall begin," he turned to Buffy. "Master Skywalker, introductions, I believe are needed."

Buffy nodded and turned to the Scoobies, "Guys, you've met Masters Yoda and Obi-Wan, Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn, Padawan Starstone, Senator Organa, Anakin and Padmé. The others here today are Masters Secura," she indicated the blue-skinned Twi'lek, "Bol Chatak," she indicated the horned Zabbrak, "Roan Shryne," a brown haired human nodded his head, "Ydra Kilwallen," the Mirialan nodded as well, "and Teryl Sibwarra." The almost regal-looking Kuati nodded in greeting as well.

"Masters, this is my extended family - my former Watcher, Rupert Giles; one of my best friends Xander Harris; my sister Slayer Faith Lehane; and my sister Dawn whom I'm taking to be my Padawan learner."

There were brief murmurs from the assembled Masters at that revelation, which caused Dawn to hunker down in her chair a bit. Aayla was the first to speak.

"Buffy… I thought it wasn't possible for you to go home. How is it that your sister came to be here - and how is it that she could possibly be Force-sensitive?"

"And is it wise to train her, considering her age?" Teryl added, giving Dawn a skeptical once-over. The young girl bristled and sat up straighter.

"Lady, I've faced down a hell-goddess, helped close a Hellmouth and uncovered the secrets of dimensional travel, all in the past three years. What exactly have _you_ done recently?"

"Peace, Dawn," Buffy laid a calming hand on her sister's shoulder, desperately trying to force down her smile. "Master Sibwarra, forgive my sister's bluntness, but like it or not she is my Padawan. As for how she can be Force-sensitive - it has to do with a special connection we share. But we are not here to talk about my sister or her training - we are here to discuss the very future of our existence. The Jedi are on the brink of extinction. With Palpatine in control of his new 'Empire', the Jedi will be hunted down and killed like wild gundarks. While we are not a true Jedi Council, it falls to us to determine the course of action we will follow now."

"What we need to do is find a safe place," Roan started. "Every minute we stay here increases the risk that the Emperor will be able to find us. And if he does, the innocents here will suffer along with the Jedi."

"Don't suppose you all have a safe house?" Faith asked. Obi-Wan shook his head.

"This _is _our safe house," he replied.

"Perhaps there is a diplomatic solution to this situation," Ydra supposed, turning to Padmé. "Surely there is something that you or Senator Organa could do?"

"Senator Organa cannot do anything at this time, Master Jedi," Padmé said tiredly. "And I can no longer do anything. I am wanted for treason by the Emperor."

Ydra was confused. "Then, with all due respect, why are you here?"

"She is here as my wife, Master Kilwallen," Anakin replied calmly, drawing gasps from the rest of the Jedi Masters. Roan whistled.

"When you break the Code, Skywalker, you break the Code."

"Do you know what this means, Skywalker?" Chatak asked. Buffy rolled her eyes.

"Anakin can be disciplined by the Council later - if it even comes to that," she replied scathingly. "For now, perhaps we can get back to our imminent demise."

"What we need is an Outbound Flight," Aayla remarked, pushing the disconcerting news of Anakin's marriage out of her mind.

"I'm sorry, but what's 'Outbound Flight'?" Dawn asked, eyeing the Twi'lek curiously. The Jedi master smiled at the girl.

"It was a rather ambitious project. Six Dreadnaughts positioned around a central storage core, meant to travel through the Unknown Regions and out of the known galaxy."

"I remember that," Buffy remarked sourly. "It was headed up by Master Jorus C'Bitch."

"Buffy…" Obi-Wan started, but Buffy silenced him with a look.

"C'baoth was an arrogant, ignorant asshole who believed himself to be better than everyone else because he was a Jedi. I didn't mourn his departure. But personal feelings aside, I think it's a good idea. I just doubt that we can find anybody willing to lend us six Dreadnaughts."

"We don't need ships, Buffy," Padmé said quietly, looking at Dawn. The young girl understood immediately.

"Earth!" she exclaimed, turning to her sister. "_We_ can take you all back to Earth with us!"

"I doubt that Sir Nigel would be happy with us bringing back nearly a hundred refugees," Giles remarked before he smiled broadly. "I already love this plan."

"What exactly are you talking about?" Obi-Wan asked Dawn. "Is it even possible?"

"It's extremely possible," Dawn replied. "We open up a portal, get everybody to Earth, and set up a new Jedi Academy of sorts at the Watcher's Council. It'll be a difficult transition, but it could be done."

"What kid of problems could we face?" Master Chatak asked.

"Earth is pretty primitive in comparison to what you're used to," Xander supplied. "There's no fancy weapons, no regular space flights. Heck, the farthest anybody from earth has gotten in space was to the moon. Also, Earth has had no contact with any alien species…allegedly."

"Most people on Earth don't believe that aliens exist," Buffy added. "I have to admit that I didn't believe they existed either - till that alien-demon thing tried to eat my mother."

"And the whole alien-galaxy thing you've been pulling for the past few years, right?" Faith added jokingly. Buffy chuckled in acknowledgement.

"That's another thing - the time difference," Dawn added. "The way I figure it, for every one year that passes on Earth, about five years passes here. That could actually work to our benefit, because we could spend a few years on Earth, come back and Palpatine would be dead of old age."

"It's more than that."

All eyes turned to Padmé, who had spoken quietly. Anakin, who was increasingly worried about the sadness he was feeling from her. "Angel?" he whispered, putting a soft hand on her shoulder. Padmé took a shuddering breath and then spoke again.

"Buffy, do you remember a being named Whistler?"

Buffy nodded. "Balance demon. I met him when he told me I had to kill Angel. Never cared for him."

"He came to me earlier." At Buffy's startled look, she continued. "I fell asleep. He came to me in my dreams. He showed me…what was to come."

"Certain of this dream, are you?" Yoda asked gently. Padmé nodded.

"Very certain. And I would have to be, considering what he told me." Taking another breath, she continued. "It has already been set in motion and over the next twenty years a rebellion against the Empire will form. Twenty years from now, the rebellion will erupt into full-blown war. Many battles will be fought, many lives lost. But it may be victorious…"

"Victorious how?" Anakin asked. Padmé sighed sadly.

"There will be two who help lead the Rebellion to victory. One raised on Tatooine who will become a Jedi, and one on Naboo and educated in politics. A boy and a girl." She looked her husband in the eye. "Luke and Leia."

Buffy closed her eyes and sighed, now knowing what the grief Padmé was broadcasting was about. She knew what had to happen now - of all people, Anakin and Padmé could not remain behind. Which meant they would have to leave their children behind.

"No," Anakin said. When Padmé tired to speak again, Anakin jumped up. "NO!" he screamed. "I will NOT just abandon my children!"

"Anakin, listen to reason…" Buffy tried to interrupt, but her brother whirled on her.

"REASON? WHAT REASON!" he roared. "You want me to leave my children behind, in hopes that they grow up to be some prophesized saviors?"

"Ani, I know what you're feeling right now…"

"How could you possible know how I'm feeling, Buffy?" he interrupted scornfully. "What would you know about leaving your child behind?"

"I LEFT MY CHILDS CORSPE BEHIND! AT LEAST YOURS WILL STILL BE ALIVE!"

There was a moment of stunned silence, as everyone digested what Buffy had just said. Only a few knew of what happened to her on Corellia, but most had no idea of what she had been through. Even Anakin seemed to realize that he had stepped over the line with his comments.

"Dear god, Buffy…" Giles started, but Buffy turned around and stalked to the far corner of the room, her hand on her mouth to stifle her crying. Anakin slowly moved up behind her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Buffy, I'm sorry…I wasn't thinking…"

"No, you were," Buffy replied softly. "You were thinking like a parent. Remember - I didn't want to leave my family, either."

"Ani," Dawn spoke tentatively, "look, I know this is hard to swallow. It was hard for me to accept that my sister was alive and well, but I wouldn't be able to see her again. But that's all changed now." Dawn held up the GDO. "We got a way into this universe now. And Fred was already talking about streamlining the process, making units that open portals by themselves. Just give us a few weeks and we'll have a way for both you and Padmé to come back and be with your kids."

"You would do that?" Padmé asked hesitantly. Dawn grinned meekly.

"Sure. You're family now."

"Reactions like this are the exact reason why attachments are forbidden to Jedi!" Teryl exclaimed. "I'm sorry, Anakin. But if you will place your family above the Order, then perhaps you don't belong in the Order anymore."

Even as Anakin looked away in shame, Buffy scoffed.

"Okay, let's clear something up, right now," she said, turning her attention to the young Master. "I hate to bring this up, but the time has come when we must all face a simple, yet terrifying truth - the Jedi Order is dead."

"Not to disagree, Master Skywalker, but I'm feeling fine," Roan said deadpanned.

"Nearly twenty years, Master Shryne," Buffy said calmly. "For nearly twenty years, Palpatine connived and schemed and maneuvered himself into the most powerful office in the galaxy and then proceeded to take it over. And he fooled us all."

Buffy pointed to Padmé, "He had the Trade Federation blockade his own planet and then used the situation to have then Queen Amidala call for the no-confidence vote that put him into office."

She turned to point to Yoda next. "Master Yoda, how many meetings did you and Master Windu have with Palpatine in his office? For that matter," she turned to Obi-Wan, "how many meetings did you and Anakin have?" Finally, she turned to her brother. "And how many private meetings did you have with him?"

"Too many to count," he admitted after a moment of silence.

"Exactly!" Buffy exclaimed. "Almost all of the most powerful Jedi in the Galaxy were around him at one point or another and yet all of them failed to sense what he really was. The Jedi Order was so blinded by tradition and codes that we allowed a Sith Lord to rise to the highest levels of our government. No attachments," she spat out, almost contemptuously. "Let me tall you about attachments. I was a Slayer once, one girl in a long line of girls who were taken by their Council when they were babies, raised and trained by the Council, not allowed friends or family, or boyfriends…and not one of them lived past 18. I fell through the cracks of the Council; I had Xander and Giles and… Willow," she took a small breath to compose herself. "I survived because of my attachments. Anakin resisted the call of the Dark Side because of his attachments.

"Things are going to change once we hit Earth. We'll discuss it more then, because I think that right now we need to concentrate on getting everyone out of this dimension and settling them on Earth. But once we get settled, we will be having this conversation again. And I promise you this - the Code will be re-written, the rules will be re-arranged and the Jedi Order will adapt to live in a new century, instead of just living in the past as it has for the past millennia. Any questions? No? Excellent."

Without giving the rest of the Masters time to argue, she turned to Yoda. "If the children have to remain behind, they need to be protected. More than that, we have to keep them off of Palpatine's radar."

Pushing Buffy's outburst aside for the moment, Obi-Wan tried to concentrate on the question at hand. "It's possible that the Emperor has a way to search for Jedi or Force-sensitive's I general. The best way to beat that would to make sure that the children aren't trained - at least, not in the traditional sense."

"In my vision, I didn't see Leia as a Jedi - she seemed more like a political activist. I don't think she was trained at all," Padmé said, her sadness abated somewhat at the knowledge that she would be able to see her children after all. "Luke though, he was using a lightsaber."

"Separated, they should be," Yoda advised. "Together, even dormant, the Force in them Palpatine would sense."

"They shouldn't be strangers to one another," Anakin argued. Obi-Wan nodded.

"And I agree. But for their safety, they should live in separate places." He turned to Padmé. "How would your family feel about taking in Leia? You said you see her as a political activist; on Naboo she could learn from the best."

"And I would be happy to sponsor her in the Senate, when the time comes," Bail added, speaking up for the first time. "It could keep her background even further shrouded from the Emperor."

"I would appreciate that very much, Bail," Padmé said warmly and then turned to Obi-Wan. "And I think my parents would be more than happy to help raise their granddaughter."

"And I bet mom would be more than happy to take in Luke," Buffy said to Anakin. The Jedi considered this.

"The idea has merit," he said, "But would Luke be safe on Tatooine?"

"I will look after him," Qui-Gon announced. Anakin looked to his would-be Master, the shock evident on his face. Qui-Gon chuckled. "Are you that surprised I would volunteer? This life I find myself living is a gift. I can be of more use watching over your son and passing on what knowledge I can."

"I would appreciate it very much, Master," Anakin said. Though disappointed he never had Qui-Gon Jinn as his Master, the knowledge that his son would receive such mentoring pleased him.

"So it is decided," Master Shryne said. "Anakin and Padmé will drop their children off at their relatives, while the rest of us will prepare to depart this dimension… that is very strange to say," Roan finished, a curious look on his face. The other Masters couldn't help but agree.

"We have several cases of equipment packed up and ready for travel," Master Secura said. "Lightsaber components, training tools, holocrons and such; and the Archives are being correlated and packed as we speak. We should be ready to go in three days."

"Should we attempt to send a message and alert your council to our imminent arrival?" Obi-Wan asked Giles. The Watcher looked to Faith, then Xander, then Dawn in silent communication. After a moment, all four looked to the Jedi Master.

"Naah."

Buffy chuckled, though her mind was clearly elsewhere. Yoda nodded. "Then much to do we have. This meeting, adjourned it is."

**TBC…

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**

**A/N: **First, my thanks to my two wonderful Beta's for sticking with me through all of this. And now, a moment of commiseration-

Almost one year ago, I started writing a little fic that was inspired by Winterd's 'Phantom's and Slayers' (a new chapter has been posted to TTH, by the way). Nearly a year later, I find myself finishing up Episode Three, beginning Episode Four, and even doing some preliminary ploting for my own take on the New Jedi Order saga. This particular story already has well over TWO HUNDRED reviews, with a total, at the moment, of 554 reviews for all three Episodes.

Before we get to the end, I just want to say thank you to ALL of my betas, past and present. The Muse, Shadow Master, Megan Gravel, my first Beta waaaaay back on Episode 1, and most recently Winterd and Fallenstar2. I'd like to thank all of my reviewers; even if I haven't responded to your reviews, I've read them all.

Ahh, look at me. I'm getting all misty here. Next chapter- Palpatine plots. 'Nuff said.


	20. Chapter 19: Dark Forces Conspire

**Episode 3 Chapter 19**

**Dark Forces Conspire

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**

Sate Pestage was, by nature, a very ambitious man. It was his ambition that Emperor Palpatine admired and that had allowed him to become the new Emperor's most trusted advisor. And in this position, he became the second most powerful man in the galaxy, a position that sated his lust for power and ensured his absolute devotion to Palpatine. He had an office right across from the Emperor, his own personal conveyance. Even the entire second-to-top floor of 500 Republica had been converted into an executive suite, just for him; a gift from his master.

Not bad for only twenty years in politics, all things said.

Tonight though, he wasn't enjoying the grand view from his balcony. Instead, he was walking with his Master, deep inside a lab Palpatine had set up years earlier.

"It is quite impressive, your Excellency," Sate said as he walked beside the Sith. Palpatine nodded, his scarred face partially obscured by the hood of his cloak.

"It is, isn't it?" he replied idly. "My most important projects are kept here. My visions of the future - and the instruments I will use to implement it."

"If I may ask then, My Lord, why did you not keep the clone of Jinn here?"

Palpatine sneered and then stopped before a sealed door. "For a very simple reason, my friend - I did not want him to cross paths with my other clone." Palpatine gestured at the door and it opened, revealing a brand new Spaarti cloning cylinder with what appeared to be a fully-grown, middle-aged man contained inside. Sate openly gaped at the figure before him.

"Jorus C'baoth!" he exclaimed.

"Yes. The great Jedi Master himself," Palpatine replied. "He was killed, along with every other living being when Captain Thrawn destroyed Outbound Flight nearly ten years ago. Now, he has been remade and shall serve me as the new Darth Vader."

"But he was a Jedi Master…"

"As was Count Dooku," Palpatine rebuked. "Besides, he was already well on his way to becoming a Dark Lord of the Sith when he died. A few genetic modifications and he will be fully subservient to me."

"Astounding, My Lord," Sate replied, inflecting just enough groveling into his voice to affect reverence, but not enough to seem like a beggar. A thought then suddenly occurred to him. "Thrawn… I recognize the name…you appointed him a commision, a fleet captain, did you not? I was under the assumption that you did not approve of his kind being appointed to such high positions?"

"Normally, I do not," Palpatine replied, stepping back into the hall with Sate and gesturing towards the door, closing it once more, "but the young Captain has proven himself to be an outstanding tactician. In fact, I am about to send him on an advance recon mission to the Unknown Regions. There is a threat out beyond even them….far off, elusive, but I will be prepared when it comes. His mind will be critical to our victory, I believe."

"Very well, my Lord. Ah," he announced a moment later, "we have arrived."

The two stepped into a theater booth above a sterile operating room where below a patient was being fitted with new cybernetic replacement limbs. "Nejaa Halcyon. Jedi Master and apparent saber-dummy for the previous Darth Vader. According to the files, they shall finish installing the implants by the end of the day and his recovery should take no longer than two weeks."

"Good, good," Palpatine said, then cast a sly look at his advisor. "You wonder why I spared him, don't you. Why Nejaa Halcyon, a Jedi Master of little power and now no longer whole?"

"It was known that Master Halcyon was an excellent duelist, my Lord. I had assumed that you wanted someone to train any future assassins in lightsaber combat. But I am unsure how well he could accomplish that in his current state."

"Indeed, it should prove to be a challenge. However, I knew of his greatest weakness - his family on Corellia. A few insinuations from Darth Traya and his fall was assured."

"Do you plan of killing his family anyway?"

"They are of no concern to me. Nejaa Halcyon shall not be setting foot on Corellia anymore and it is a very real possibility that they died during the siege," Palpatine sighed. "No, my biggest concern right now is the whereabouts of Darth Traya. I felt her diminish somewhat on Mustafar, then fade completely within the last few hours."

"Is her loss that great, My Lord?"

"An apprentice can be replaced. But she had unique talents. Talents that I wanted, but could never have. But most importantly, she knew things that, if they fell into the wrong hands, could prove... inconvenient to me," he paused, searching the Force for an inkling of her whereabouts. He found none. "I am beginning to believe that Darth Traya may be lost to us forever." Palpatine turned and left the theater, Sate close behind him. As they walked, Palpatine spoke. "Kamino will be giving us two more shipments of Clones in the coming years. Once they are delivered, I want Kamino wiped out. The whole planet."

"But what shall we do for troops, My Lord?" Sate asked. Palpatine smirked.

"I have already begun setting up cloning facilities of our own. Despite that, we will need to set up a system for conscription. Begin issuing orders to build more flight and command training centers on Coruscant, Kuat, Corellia, Duro, Commenor and Fondor. Also order the shipyards to begin drawing up plans for new warships. I want ships that will put our Venator-class ships to shame and snub fighters to match. We will rebuild this clone army into a fighting force of such magnitude and power that any an all aggressors shall tremble before it!"

"Very good, My Lord."

"And contact Moff Tarkin. Tell him I will be visiting the Maw Instillation within the week. Ah, here we are."

The two had reached the end of the hall. In front of them was a wall of transparisteel, which showed the lab beyond. In that lab, surrounded by medical droids, sat a single Spaarti cloning tube which contained a small fetus.

"My Lord, what is that?" Sate asked, eying the tube warily. The Sith smiled evilly.

"That, my friend, is the first of my Hands. She will be raised under my care, my tutelage, raised to be the perfect spy, assassin, infiltrator….whatever I require her to be. And her unique genetic breeding have ensured that, not only will she wield the powers of the Force, but also the powers her 'mother' had as well."

"Darth Traya," Sate reasoned. Palpatine nodded.

"I may not be able to wield her powers, but her offspring will. For my benefit." The Sith smiled once more. "Yes, she will be the greatest of my Hands," he said, staring at the tine from floating in the tank, "my sweet Mara Jade."

* * *

Willow sat in her room on Polis Massa, idly flexing the fingers of her new artificial hand. _It was fitting,_ she thought to herself, _that Buffy and I are now even. An eye for an eye, an arm for an arm._ She shook her head to clear it and then looked back out onto the star field.

Xander had made the case that since she was no longer Dearth Traya per se, then she shouldn't be locked up in a windowless cell anymore. After a lot of yelling, threatening and cajoling, Xander had come to escort Willow to her new quarters, down the hall from where Dawn had been while unconscious. She didn't know why Xander was making such a fuss, though. It's not like she deserved it…

"Dinner is served!" Xander announced jovially, entering the room with two covered trays. He set one down on the table next to the bed and kept the other as she sat down on the bed next to Willow. He pulled off the lid and eagerly cut into what appeared to be meatloaf. "Come on, Willow. You have to eat something to keep up your strength."

Willow glanced over at Xander a she lifted the fork to his mouth. Before he swallowed, she asked casually. "What's for dinner, anyway?"

Xander paused for a moment and then shrugged. "No clue. Smells good, though," he replied, stuffing a fork full of the meaty substance in to his mouth. He chewed for a few moments and then stopped, grimacing as the powerful spices in the loaf took hold. Sweat formed on his brown as he forced it down. "It's good!" he rasped out. "Real good. Now I need water…" He grabbed the cup and was about to down the whole thing, when he suddenly stopped and eyed the drink warily. Willow couldn't hold it back anymore; she laughed, a hearty laugh that she hadn't felt the urge to utter in nearly ten years.

"It's okay, Xander. It's just caf. Think coffee, without much of the bitterness. The meat there is Corellian Spiceloaf. The Corellians don't like anything mild."

Xander nodded absently as he downed the caf. "Remind me to thank Buffy when she gets back for her choice in food."

"She left?"

Xander nodded. "She left in her fighter, following Anakin and Padmé in the _Falcon_. They've left to drop off the kids."

"So it has begun," Willow said, sadness creeping back into her voice. "My choices condemned millions to their death and now they will condemn two innocent children from seeing their parents."

"It's not that bad," Xander said gently. "Dawn said that she and Fred were already thinking of how to hasten the whole portal process. Dawn was thinking of some kind of two-use self contained portal device."

"Magic and technology. Interesting mix," Willow said, finally uncovering her own meal and digging in. She absently reached for the spice shaker on her tray and sprinkling on a hefty amount. Xander looked at her incredulously.

"You've got to be kidding me." Willow smiled.

"Spend fifteen years here; you get used to spicy food."

The two ate in silence (after Xander procured a large pitcher of water), with Xander sneaking glances at his friend on occasion. As they finished their meals, he turned to her. "So, how are you holding up now?"

Willow shrugged. "That old suicidal feeling comes and goes, but that's to be expected. I'm dealing, but I doubt I'll be able to face any of them anytime soon."

"Willow…"

"Look, Xander," she said exasperatedly. "Padmé and her family took me in, treated me like a daughter, a sister - and I betrayed them. Buffy was my best friend, the one I swore I would fight along side until the end and I had her family killed. Anakin was never anything but nice to me and I overthrew his mind and used him to kill his fellow Jedi and almost his former Master. I can't face them…not now. Not so soon."

Reluctantly, Xander nodded. "But you know you'll have to talk to them sometime, right?"

Willow nodded in reply but said nothing. After a few moments, Xander spoke up. "So, how's the hand?"

Willow flexed the fingers once more. "Just like new. I was thinking how poetic it was when you came in…." she turned to her best friend. "Xander, there is something I need you to do for me. Information I need you to pass on to Buffy."

"Why don't you tell her yourself?"

"Xander…"

"Alright, fine," Xander sighed, defeated. "What does she need to know?"

"I know about several of Palpatine's plans," Willow said finally, "plans that included Nejaa Halcyon and Jorus C'baoth and how he planned on turning them into his dark assassins. And plans for a giant super laser."

"A super laser?" Xander repeated dubiously. Willow nodded gravely.

"Yes, a super laser. One powerful enough to destroy an entire planet with a single blast…"

* * *

**TBC**

Another short chapter, mostly exposition. Coming soon - the last chapter of Episode 3, where the children are dropped off, Buffy leaves something behind and our heroes go home - only to have a confrontation with Lord Nigel Ambrose-Bellairs, head of the Watcher's Council. Two worlds collide once more in Chapter 20 - Through the Looking Glass.


	21. Chapter 20: Through the Looking Glass

**Episode 3 Chapter 20**

**Through the Looking Glass

* * *

**

"Ani, got a minute?"

Anakin looked up from the forward mandible of the _Millennium Falcon_ where he was making repairs to see his sister (older sister, he corrected himself, remembering he now had a younger sister as well) leap up from the ground onto the mandible beside him. Anakin put down the welder and removed his safety goggles to look at Buffy.

"Sure. The repairs are almost finished anyways. We'll be ready to go in about an hour."

"Good," Buffy replied. "The trip should take about a day, giving Olee enough time to get everything situated for the move. I swear, she's like a younger Giles, without all of the repressed anger." She paused for a moment to consider. "Though, I bet if we locked Giles in a room with Palpatine…."

"He'd be fried," Anakin reasoned. Buffy nodded.

"Probably true, but I bet he'd get a few licks in. Don't discount old Ripper."

Anakin chuckled and Buffy was heartened by it. It was good to see some of his good humor returning, especially after all he'd been through. "Look, before we drop off the kids I need you to follow me in the _Falcon_. I need to park the _Prometheus _someplace safe - I have a feeling I'll need it again in the future and I sure as hell can't take it with me."

"Of course, sis," Anakin replied. "Where will you be leaving it?"

And so it was a few hours later when two small ships reverted to real space inside the Yavin system. The ARC fighter _Prometheus _, followed by the YT-1300 freighter _Millennium Falcon_, made way for the fourth planet of the system, just beyond it red giant sun.

_"Falcon_, this is _Prometheus_," Buffy said into her mike. "Follow me down to the planet and land beside the temple. I'm going to take her into the temple itself and park her inside."

"And you think it will still be there in twenty years?" Anakin replied. "And why here?"

"Call it the will of the Force, Ani," Buffy replied, bringing her fighter down through the atmosphere. "As for it still being here - I've packed this ship with generators, all hooked up to the cloaking device. Baby's got enough power to stay cloaked for fifty years."

The two ships put down in front of the largest temple on the surface. It was sealed tight, but a gesture from Buffy and the Force opened the large doors on he ground level. "Just sit tight, I'll be out in a few minutes."

And sure enough, after Buffy had secured the _Prometheus _deep inside the temple, cloaked it and locked the doors behind which it was hidden, Buffy made her way out of the temple. She absently closed the door as she entered the _Falcon_. She headed up to the cockpit, where Padmé and Dawn sat, both holding a tiny infant in their arms. She moved to the co-pilots chair and relieved Qui-Gon, who moved to the hyperdrive computer and started plotting courses - one for Tatooine and one for Naboo.

"Where to first, Captain?" she asked as the Falcon lifted off.

"Naboo," Anakin replied.

* * *

**Theed Province, Naboo.

* * *

**

Ruwee and Jobal Naberrie lived a relative simple life; albeit one in comfort. However, no comforts they had could assuage their grief when they had been told their youngest daughter had died mere days ago. At first they had cried - they, along with their oldest Sola. But soon the tears ran dry and all they had left was the numbness of loss.

Imagine their surprise when Padmé showed up at their door, surrounded by three Jedi, a young, dark haired girl and two tiny infants.

"Hi mom," Padmé said apprehensively. "Did we come at a bad time?"

* * *

"They announced your deaths on the holonet," Jobal said, passing cups of tea to everyone. "Said your ship was destroyed by some remaining rouge Separatists over Mustafar. They also said that Maser's Kenobi and Skywalker were killed in action." 

"Well, for once, the rumors of our deaths have been greatly exaggerated," Buffy said with a small smile. Padmé nodded.

"But it must not seem that it has," she added. "For the good of us all, especially you, I must remain dead."

"But why?" Sola asked. "Why not just come home?"

"Because of what I am about to ask of you," Padmé replied sadly. She looked down to the tiny bundle she carried. "This is Leia, my daughter. And Anakin is holding Luke, our son."

"Your son?" Ruwee exclaimed. Anakin nodded.

"We were married in secret a little over three years ago."

"We apologize for not telling you father; mother, but we couldn't. Marriage is forbidden to the Jedi and he was needed in the Order because of the war."

"And now our children are in danger," Anakin continued. "A Dark Lord of the Sith has taken control of the government. He has hunted down the Jedi and killed them and he wants Padmé and I, as well as our children."

"Chancellor Palpatine!" Ruwee exclaimed. Padmé nodded.

"Yes, Palpatine," she replied. "He fooled all of us, even the Jedi. And now we will suffer for it. That's why we need your help." She took a deep breath before continuing. "I need you to take Leia."

"What?" Jobal breathed, looking at the infant.

"She needs to be kept somewhere safe; somewhere she will be loved and cared for. I know you can do this. I'm begging you to do this."

Ruwee moved to kneel in font of her daughter and clasped her small hands in his. "Padmé, you never needed to beg us to do this. Of course we'll take her. But why can't you…"

"Where we are going, they can't follow," Padmé said sadly. "They need to be raised here. Bail Organa has already promised me that he will check in from time to time and sponsor her when the time comes for her to join the Senate."

"And Luke?" Jobal asked.

"Luke will go to my mother on Tatooine," Anakin said. "Qui-Gon Jinn will be watching over him."

"And we'll be watching over these two," Buffy said, gesturing to the married couple.

"And I promise that they'll be by to visit as often as it's safe," Dawn added.

Jobal nodded and then looked to her daughter. "Can you at least stay, for a little while?"

Padmé looked to Anakin, who smiled and nodded.

"We can stay for a little while," she conceded.

* * *

**Lars' Moisture Farm, Tatooine

* * *

**

The _Millennium Falcon_ set down just outside the Lars' homestead, kicking up a large cloud of dust in its wake. As the dust settled the ramp lowered and the small group exited the ship as was greeted by Owen Lars.

"Anakin!" he called out, grasping the Jedi's hand and shaking it. "Welcome back. We've been fearing the worst since the news hit the holonet."

"How's mom?" he asked Owen, heading towards the home.

"She felt a lot better when she saw that ship land. She knew it had to be you."

"Ani!" Shim cried, rushing out of the house as Anakin descended the stairs. Anakin swept her up into his arms in a warm hug.

"We're okay, mom. We're okay." Shmi smiled and wiped away an unshed tear and then turned to Buffy. "Oh, Buffy," she exclaimed softly, enveloping the small Slayer in a hug of her own. Buffy smiled as she pulled away.

"Mom, there's someone I'd like you to meet," she said as she stepped back and guided Dawn up to the front. "Dawn, this is Shmi Skywalker, the woman who took me in like her own daughter. Mom, this is Dawn, my sister."

Awkwardly, Dawn moved forward and raised her hand in greeting. Shmi smiled broadly and stepped forward herself, enveloping the young girl in a warm hug. "Buffy's told me so much about you, Dawn. I know this must be incredibly awkward for you…"

"Yeah, just a little bit."

"Well, I don't expect you to call me mom. I never asked Buffy to, either; but she did anyways. Just know that I care about your sister, Dawn. And I care about you, as well."

"Thanks. I'm glad she had somebody looking out for her here."

"Not to rain on this parade," Cliegg said, hobbling out on his new artificial leg. "But to what do we owe the pleasure? And who's the little one?" he indicated the infant in Padmé's arms.

"This is our son, Luke," Padmé announced. "And we have a very large favor to ask…."

* * *

"The Jedi are on the brink or extinction," Qui-Gon explained as the group sat around the kitchen table. "The Emperor's purge has nearly wiped us all out. The survivors are preparing to leave for a safe haven of sorts, but unfortunately there are two who cannot make that journey. Luke here is one of them." 

"They need to be raised here, Shmi," Padmé said with unshed tears in her eyes. "But with Palpatine looking for us, Anakin and I have to leave. As much as it pains me, we have to leave them behind."

"But what about your daughter… Leia was it?" Beru asked. "Where is she?"

"She's with my parents."

"For their safety, they needed to be kept separate," Qui-Gon continued. "Not permanently - the Naberrie's have already told us that they will bring Leia by at least a few days a month and will arrange for you to come to Naboo. But they cannot live together for an extended period of time. The Force is too strong with them."

"Then what about his training?" Shmi asked.

"Luke will receive no training, until the time is right," Qui-Gon said sadly. "In the meantime, I will remain close by to watch over and protect him, as well as protect all of you."

"And we'll visit when we can, mom," Anakin added. "It won't be often enough, but it will be something…"

"And you're sure this is the only way?"

"We are," Padmé sighed. "Lords how I wish it wasn't."

"Then it's settled. We will gladly take Luke in," Owen said without hesitation and then looked right at Luke. "And we will make sure he knows how much his parents love him and how much they sacrificed for him."

Anakin smiled and grasped Owen's hand. "Thank you, Owen. I know you'll take good care of our son."

"We give your our word, Ani," Shmi said, placing an arm around her son. "He will be loved here."

* * *

A few hours later the _Millennium Falcon_ took off from Tatooine two passengers lighter. Qui-Gon had assured Anakin and Buffy that he would acquire a small homestead somewhere in the Jundland Wastes and that he would watch over Luke until it was time for him to begin his training. Still, it was hard for them to leave the old Jedi behind so soon after finding him again. Anakin briefly thoughgt over their final farewell, where he had given the Jedi Knight his lightsaber to pass onto his son when the time was right; then tried to keep his mind occupied by taking the stick and flying the group back to Polis Massa, while Buffy busied herself in the engine room. 

"Penny for your thoughts?" Dawn asked as she walked into the compartment. Buffy sighed and set down her hydrospanner.

"Just wishing there was some other way for this to play out. I hate leaving the twins behind, even if they will be with family. And Master Qui-Gon…he was the one to rescue us from Tatooine. If it hadn't' been for him, Ani and I probably would have spent out lives as slaves. We probably would have been separated eventually. I just wish he could have come with us…"

"Don't use the 'W' word," Dawn said absently, looking around the cramped engine compartment. "And besides, Qui-Gon wanted to stay. On Tatooine, he can watch over Luke and prepare him for the future ahead."

"I know," Buffy looked sideways at her sister. "And you? How are you holding up?"

"Okay, I guess. It's just…" Dawn took a breath as she struggled to explain her feelings. "It's only been a little over three years for me since mom died. I know you had more time and harder circumstances. And I know Shmi took care of you and all and I'm grateful for that, but…"

"But you just can't think of her as 'Mom'," Buffy finished and Dawn nodded. "Dawn, you don't have to. In a lot of ways Shmi reminded me of our mom, so I didn't have too much trouble calling her that. But like she said, she doesn't expect that of you. Just know that if you ever need to talk to someone while we're here, she'll be there for you. Okay?"

"Alright," Dawn agreed and then chuckled. "It seems like my family just keeps growing, you know."

"It's a good feeling, isn't it?"

"Little bit."

* * *

**Polis Massa

* * *

**

"How's everything going, Starstone?" Master Shryne asked, glancing around at the assembled crates. The young Padawan looked up from her list and gave the Master a light smiled.

"Everything's packed and ready to go. Clothes, training material, lightsaber components, the archives… everything. Nearly a hundred cases."

Roan nodded absently. "How will we transport them?"

"By hand. According to both Faith and Mr. Giles, travel via a portal can sometimes be rough. No one, save you Masters, may have enough control to move the crates with the Force. So we'll give a crate every Padawan, Knight or Youngling that can carry one. Once we're on the other side, we can move them with ease to wherever we are staying."

"Very good, Padawan. You've done a good job organizing all of this."

Olee smiled meekly. "Thank you, Master. I've had help…"

"Yes, you have," Roan agreed. "But still, the amount of work you have pulled off by yourself is admirable. You will make a great Jedi Knight, Olee. Never doubt that."

"Thank you, Master."

"Now, we best gather everybody in the main hall," Roan said. "It's almost time to leave."

* * *

"Is everything alright, Master Skywalker?" 

"I just hate to let the girl go."

Buffy stood with Bail Organa in the main hanger of the Polis Massa complex, looking lovingly on the _Millennium Falcon_ one last time. Knowing how recognizable the ship had become and how if it remained here and was found, the Empire would bring their wrath down upon the citizens of the asteroid, it had been decided by Buffy that the ship should be sold to new owners; a task that Bail had agreed to carry out.

"The buyer owns a small shipping company," Bail told the Jedi. "He acquires ships all of the time, especially derelicts. If the Empire stops him in it, he can say he recovered it from deep space and was salvaging it. That would also give Anakin a nice cover of a falsified death to turn the Emperor's attention away from him."

Buffy nodded. "Who's the buyer, anyways? Anybody I'm familiar with?"

"Probably not. He's a small-time operator - Soro Calrissian. He runs his shipping company with his son, Lando."

Buffy nodded absently, still looking at the Falcon. "I hope he takes good care of her. Listen, Senator…"

"Call me Bail."

"Alright, Bail…I just want to thank you…for everything. And I know Padmé and Anakin appreciate it as well."

"It is an honor, Buffy," Bail replied. "And anytime you need anything, just let me know."

"Actually, there is one more thing."

"Name it."

"Artoo and Threepio. We can't really bring them with us, as we don't have the means to care for droids on Earth, nor do we really need them. I'd like you to take them."

Bail nodded. "Very well. I promise to take good care of them. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go say goodbye to Padmé."

Buffy nodded and the statesman exited the hanger. Buffy took one more look at the _Falcon_, her hand settling on the hull as she smiled sadly.

"Goodbye, Jacen," she whispered and then turned her back on the _Falcon _and left.

* * *

A short time later, Buffy stood outside the main area of the complex while the last of the Jedi marched in. Buffy spied Xander moving towards her and smiled. 

"Xander. Everything set?"

"Yup. Giles is getting read to work his mojo and Dawn's got the GDO. Listen, Buffy - about Willow…"

"What about her?" the Jedi asked indifferently, causing Xander to sigh.

"She's a wreck right now. I know you have your problems with her right now, but when we cross over, I need you to keep Tara away from her."

"Why?"

"Because she's a wreck!" he exclaimed. "She barely talks to me right now; she can't handle seeing Tara."

"Well Xander that may be a bit difficult, seeing as we are going back to Earth and all…"

"Dawn and Giles set aside rooms for both of you," Xander replied. "I'm just asking you to head her off while I get her to her room."

Buffy thought for a few moments before nodding. "All right. But make sure she knows she will have to speak with her eventually."

"I will. It wouldn't hurt if you talked to her, you know," Xander added, then flinched slightly at the cold look Buffy gave him. Finally Buffy couldn't hold it any longer and sighed.

"Someday. Not anytime soon, but someday…I need time too, you know." She looked into the hall and saw that everyone had gathered. Everyone that was left. "You'd better go get her. We'll be leaving shortly."

Xander nodded and hurried back down the hall towards Willow's room, while Buffy turned and walked into the hall. As she entered, Faith came running up to her.

"Hey, B. Giles is almost ready to go."

"Good. The sooner we're out of here the safer I'd feel."

"Yeah, look…" Faith said as she started walking with Buffy to the head of the room. "There's something you should know before we get back to Earth."

"Good timing."

"Funny. It's about the other Slayers." Buffy turned a questioning look on her sister Slayer, who sighed. "Look, you may have been gone for a while, but you're…well, you're kind of a legend."

Buffy looked at Faith, emotionless. "A legend."

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Because you were the longest living Slayer on record, a mark that has been greatly extended thanks to your stay here. Because you broke every rule and law the Council laid down for you and then spit in their faces by quitting them. Because you broke all conventions, formed a team and took down some of the most feared Big Bads the Council had - the Master, Angelus, you beat Spike and Drusilla several times; you beat a government-created Frankenstein, a Hellgod and forty-foot ascended snake demon and yes, a rogue Slayer turned homicidal maniac. You're like a rock star to them, Buffy."

"But they're your girls, Faith. No," she held up a hand to still the other girl's arguments, "your thoughts betray you, Faith. I haven't been a Slayer for fifteen years and I doubt I'll take up that mantel again unless I'm needed for a patrol or two. Faith, listen to me - not many could walk the dark path and come back from it. But you did and you are stronger for it. The Slayers can look up to me all they want; but I look up to you. And I'll let them know that they couldn't have a better teacher than you." With one last smile, Buffy turned to head to the front of the room, pretending not to notice Faith as she wiped away a few errant tears.

Buffy moved to teh head of the room and stood in front of the small assemblage, the remains of the mighty Jedi Order. Six Masters, 18 Knights, 24 Padawans and 32 Younglings. Conspicuous in his absence was Master Yoda, who had left already to make his home on the far off planet of Dagobah.

"Everybody, your attention please," she said at length and the hall fell instantly silent save for the quiet chanting of Giles. "Everybody here knows the score. Everybody knows what we are being forced to do. We are fleeing the Re-the EMPIRE, I'm sorry, and settling in a place where the Emperor's forces cannot touch us. You all know this, but most of you don't know where we will be going or how we will get there."

Giles finished chanting and with a loud woosh, a large, bright cloud of floating white energy formed behind Buffy. Dawn aimed her GDO at it and activated the device and instantly the portal changed to a purple and white cloud of swirling energy. Buffy jerked her thumb at the portal, paying no heed to the astonished looks of all of the Jedi.

"We will be walking though that. It's a portal that will take us to my home dimension, to a planet called Earth. Now, I have to warn you - Earth is a primitive planet. All of the comforts and luxuries you have become accustomed to - most, if not all, do not exist there. There are no hovercars. No space flight. No hyperdrives. We live, breath, eat and sleep planet-side. Above all of that, Earth had had no contact with alien species. So until we can discover a secure method of disguising you, all of us will be remaining at our destination.

"Where is our destination, you are asking. We will be staying at the Watcher's Council, my alma mater, with the Slayers whose lineage I share. Once there and once we are settled, we will begin the task of rebuilding our Order and training all of you. Make no mistake - everything is about to change. Everything," she emphasized, looking directly at the Masters. "But that is a discussion for another time. For now, everybody grab a case and prepare yourselves - travel through a portal can be disconcerting."

"Giles and I will be going first," Dawn announced, "so we can tell any Slayers guarding the embarkation room to stand down. Buffy will then send though the rest of you and Faith and Xander will bring up the rear. Any questions?"

Zett raised his hand and Dawn nodded at the young Knight. "Are we there yet?"

Dawn shot the boy a sour glance, which she then turned on her sister. "I blame that on your influence, Buffy."

Buffy smiled and then hefted a crate. "And you're right to do so. Now, everybody grab their stuff - it's time to step through the looking glass."

* * *

"What do you mean, seal the room!" Spike roared. "They've only been gone a few hours!" 

The embarkation room was in bedlam, pure and simple. Inside the room were several Slayers, along with Angel, Fred, Wesley, and Cordy. Tara and Kennedy stood off to the side with Andrew and Jonathan. And in the doorway stood Lord Nigel Ambrose-Bellairs, the head of the Watcher's Council, who was determined to be rid of his 'problem children', by any means necessary.

It had been a risky move on his part, backing that idiot child Summers' plan to open a portal into another dimension in some vain attempt to find her long-dead sister. But the containment system the Burkle woman had designed had been brilliant and to make things even better, Dawn had taken almost everyone that had stood in his way of rebuilding the Council into the glorious organization it had been once. And to make things even better, he could use the same shielding technology to keep them out.

If only these damn people would leave…

"Now you listen here, vampire," he sneered, showing no fear in the face of one of the most ruthless vampires in two hundred years, soul or not. "If they had found them, they would have brought them back already. That they haven't tells me that they have been compromised. Now, I will not have some hell-beast open a portal and waltz right into my Council-" he was cut off as a bright purpled cloud of energy suddenly flashed into existence.

Before Sir Nigel could say anything more, Dawn leapt through, followed closely by Giles. Both looked around in confusion, obviously not expecting such a large crowd.

"Uh, hi!' Dawn waved. "Don't shoot! We got refugees coming through!"

"You have WHAT!" Sir Nigel exploded. Giles looked at the man with narrowed eyes and then looked at Spike, who still stood uncomfortably close to the man.

"Spike, what's going on?"

"Your esteemed leader decided to seal the room. Fortunately, we wouldn't let him."

"Define seal the room."

"He wanted to make sure you couldn't get back, Rupert," Angel said, staring daggers at the head of the Council. Giles considered this for a moment and then hauled off and slugged Sir Nigel, sending him crashing to the floor just as Master Shryne came through. He looked to Giles, then to the man on the floor and finally back up to Giles.

"Has the party started without us?" he asked casually, setting down his crate and directing the arriving Youngling to a far corner of the room. He warily kept his senses on the few Slayers in the room, all who had visibly stiffened as the children started coming though. He wasn't the only one to notice and Dawn started moving between the Slayers, calmly telling them to take it easy and that the kids weren't a threat. Roan was amused to see that a few times Dawn had inadvertently put the Force behind the suggestion and made a mental note to inform Buffy of how powerful she seemed to be.

There was silence as the Jedi poured through the gateway, each carrying a container, until finally a figure stepped through. Her arms were crossed in front of her, hands concealed in the selves of her robes and the hood was up to partially conceal her face. She turned back to the portal, just in time to see Anakin tumble through, his arm wrapped protectively around Padmé.

"Dawn," the figure said, "could you show Anakin and Padmé to my room, please? Padmé could probably do with some sleep."

"No problem, Buffy," Dawn replied, causing the crowd to gasp as they finally realized who the hooded figure was. Padmé nodded in gratitude as Dawn led the two out of the room. Buffy the gathered her courage and then drew her hood back and turned to face the crowd.

She was both elated and saddened to see so many familiar faces. Elated to see them alive and well, but saddened in how much she had changed and how little they would truly know her anymore. Her eyes found Angel's handsome face and for the first time she could look at him without any of the usual feelings stirring in her heart. With a start, she realized that there was nothing for her there anymore. Any love she had felt had presumably died with Jacen. Her eyes passed over several unfamiliar faces before finally settling on Tara's familiar blonde head. The witch smiled and then gasped as Buffy felt the ripple in the Force she had been waiting for. Without hesitation she headed off the witch, who had been rushing to the newly-arrived Willow.

"Tara, wait…" she asked, stopping Tara before she got halfway. She could hear Willow whimpering behind her and Xander quickly escorted her out.

"Willow!" Tara cried out, trying to get around Buffy. The Jedi wouldn't let her. "Buffy, what…"

"Tara, I need you to listen to me," she explained calmly, laying her hand gently on Tara's shoulder. "Willow has been through a lot. More than you can possibly know and she's in no condition to see anybody. Give me some time to get my students settled and then I promise I'll tell you everything. Okay?"

Tara wanted to argue, but felt the truth behind Buffy's words. "Alright," Tara relented. "But make it soon, Buffy. I want to know what happened."

Buffy shook her head sadly. "No, Tara. You really don't."

Faith finally leapt through the portal, which snapped closed behind her. "That's everybody – why is Sir Nigel on the floor?"

They all turned to face the head of the Council, who finally staggered to his feet. Spike grinned at Faith.

"Mainly because dickless here wanted to seal the room and strand you in whatever hell dimension you were in."

Silence reigned in the room and Buffy turned to Sir Nigel. "Is this true?" she asked quietly.

"Yes, it's true," Faith replied. "This man has no dick."

"Why you insolent little-" he started, but came up short as she came face to face with Buffy.

"You would seal your own people in another dimension, simply because they don't agree with your policies?" she asked sadly, shaking her head. "I see now how little this Council has changed in my absence."

"Now you see here! I don't know what all of these…things…are, but they-"

"These 'things' are my students. My responsibility," she said calmly, then subtly waved her hand in front of his face. "We were told you would gladly allow us to stay here."

"Of course we'll allow you to stay here," Sir Nigel replied at once.

"And you won't mind if we stay awhile," Buffy continued, waving her hand again.

""No, I don't mind at all."

"And I doubt that you will ever have to bother with us. In fact, I believe that Giles could easily handle our dealings with the Council."

"No, I'll leave your dealings with the council to Giles."

"Good night, Sir Nigel."

"Good night," the elder Watcher replied before turning and walking out of the room, leaving a group of composed Jedi and awestruck Slayers behind. Buffy turned to face them and smirked.

Faith laughed outright. "Goddamn, B! Can you teach me how to do that?"

Buffy shook her head. "Sadly, no." she replied and then moved over to Angel. "Hello, Angel," she said warmly, pulling the vampire into a hug. She was surprised and a bit relieved that the hug was purely platonic on his end, too. A flash of annoyance from next to him gave her all of the answers she needed and she pulled away.

"It's been a while," Angel observed, taking in her aged appearance. Buffy nodded.

"It certainly has." She turned to the tall brunette next to him. "And hello, Cordelia. It's good to see you again. How long have you and Angel been together?"

Cordelia blinked in surprise. "Uh, just over a year now. You're not…"

"I'm not," the Jedi assured her, pulling the seer into a hug as well. "I'm happy for you. Both of you."

The two chuckled and Buffy turned to the other brunette. "And you must be Fred. I'm told you've had ideas how to make the portal process a little easier?"

"Uh, yeah!" Fred said. "I have some ideas. I just need to draw up the plans. And make them, of course, Just need to get Dawn's input and in a few weeks, I could have something for ya, if you want."

Buffy smiled warmly. "I do. It's not imperative, but it will be necessary." She moved on, and blinked in surprise. "Wesley? Damn, you got hot!" she exclaimed glibly, causing the slightly scruffy looking Watcher to blush slightly. Buffy chuckled at his discomfort and then pulled him into a hug. "It's good to see you, Wesley. Dawn's told me how much you've helped out around here."

"It was nothing," Wesley said. Buffy smiled and then turned to the door where the one last person she knew stood.

"Hello, Spike."

"Buffy."

Buffy strode up to the vampire and pulled him into a hug. She stood on her toes to whisper in his ear." Thank you, Spike. For looking out for her. For everything you did for her."

Spike pulled back, a small smile on his face. "I did what I had to, luv. And I'd do it again."

Buffy smiled and then moved to the center of the room. "You all know who I am," she started, looking to the Slayers. "In time, I will get to know who you all are. But please, be aware of this - the people who have come back with me are my students. It is my job and the job of my fellow Masters, to train them. That being said, while I won't have much time for Slaying, I will gladly fight along side any one of you."

With that, she turned to her old Watcher. "Giles, if you could show us to our new quarters, I would appreciate it. Students, gather our belongings. For the next few years, this will be our home. In the next few days, my fellow Masters and I will have a plan of action, but for now, let us rest. And may the Force be with us all."

Under the direction of Faith the Slayers moved out and back to their dorms. Kennedy led Tara back to their room, promising her she'd talk to Buffy herself to get some answers. And Giles led the group of eighty Jedi out of the embarkation room to their new home in the Council's unfinished Travers' wing.

_Quite appropriate_, Buffy thought, _that the safe haven I'm taking these children to is named after the same man who made my life hell when I was a Slayer._ Those thoughts were pushed out of her head by other, more pressing concerns, as she planed out in her mind the changes that she would bring to the Council during their exile.

_And may the Force be with me in this, as well…_

**Finite

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**

To be continued in **Star Wars Episode 4: Hope Reborn**

**A/N: **I seriously considered holding off this update until July 7th- the one year aniversary of the birth of this story. But who am I to deny my readers? My thanks to my two wonderful beta's Winterd and Fallenstar2, and special thanks to all of you, for sticking with this story for so long. I'm already hard at work on Episode 4, but don't expect it for about a month- I wan't to get a lot written before hand before I start to post.

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And for the first time ever, a special sneak peak at '**Finding Avalon**', my Stargate SG-1/Battlestar Galactica crossover

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**Chapter One**

**Where it all begins…again…

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**

"Incoming wormhole!" Walter Harriman, the sergeant in charge of dialing operations, called out as the alarms sounded in the SGC. The usual bustle of activity started as Marines positioned themselves in the gate room. Major General Hank Landry came down the stairs into the control room just as the wormhole formed behind the iris.

"Receiving IDC. It's SG-1, sir," the sergeant announced. Landry nodded.

"Open the iris," he commanded and then watched as the iris spun open to reveal the water-like substance of the wormhole behind it. Even after a year an a half, the Stargate still amazed him. He could still recall the day when Jack O'Neill came by his office at the Pentagon, carrying a folder so classified he should have been arrest for carrying it out in public. Landry had stared at his friend, his clear blue eyes wide in astonishment as Jack had told him about his most recent assignment - the Stargate. How he had traveled across the galaxy, how he had forged alliances (okay, how Daniel had forged alliances) with alien races and how the United States Air Force now not only had fight-interceptors capable of space combat, but also had starships. Starships, or all things! And then Jack had dropped the bombshell - how he was finally retiring, not only because of his age (and knees) but because he had fallen in love with his second in command and no longer wanted to deny his feelings.

Strangely enough, of all of the things he had heard in their meeting, that last bit had surprised the stocky general the most.

So now here he was a year and a half later, the commanding officer of the United States' most secret project watching as his flagship team stepped through the gate.

Their was Teal'c, of course. Once the First Prime of Apophis, Teal'c had helped the original SG-1 escape from Chulak and had been a part of the unit ever since. He had briefly left the SGC before he took over to help Bra'tac set up the new Free Jaffa government, but had eventually returned and become something of an ambassador between the two organizations.

Then there was Daniel Jackson, the man who had opened the gate for the first time and the man who had arguably given up the most in its use. First his wife, then his 'family' on Abydos, not to mention his life (at least twice, something Landry was still a little fuzzy on), the archeologist had been moments away from leaving the SGC forever to go to Atlantis when fate interceded in the form of Vala Mal Doran. He hadn't been to upset in the long run, though, as her interference had led Daniel to evidence of yet another Ancient City that he had spend the last year and a half trying to locate. Judging by the look on his face, Landry was guessing he had finally found something.

Next was Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter, one of the most brilliant women on the planet. She was a founding member of SG-1 and the current love of Jack O'Neill's life. She had been distracted though over the past few months since Jack had suddenly disappeared. While she didn't think anything bad had happened (that was life in black ops), she couldn't hide the worry, especially from her friends.

And last came Lieutenant Colonel Cameron Mitchell, hot-shot pilot, one of the heroes of Antarctica and the current commanding officer of SG-1. Mitchell was everything Jack O'Neill wasn't - down to earth, almost always followed his orders to the letter, but still improvised enough to give him and his team a staggeringly high success rate. He was also less abrasive than Jack had been, much to the relief of the brass.

Landry nodded to Walter, who shut down the gate and then proceeded down to the gate room.

"Welcome back, SG-1. I take it something…." He trailed off as Daniel mumbled a greeting and rushed out of the gate room. "Was it something I said?"

"Sorry about Daniel, General," Mitchell said with a small smile. "But I think he found something interesting."

"You think?"

"We didn't have a chance to find out, sir," Carter replied. "He found a tablet and then said we had to get back immediately. But if I had to guess, I'd say he found a clue to the city, as well as a name."

"What name would that be, Colonel?" Landry asked.

"Avalon."

Before he could say anything more, alarms sounded. "Incoming wormhole!" Harriman called out over the PA.

"Close the iris!" Landry yelled as he ran up to the control room, the remaining SG-1 members behind him. The wormhole opened as they made their way into the control room.

"Receiving a signal. It's Atlantis!"

'They're early," Landry noted and then turned to the Sergeant. "Put it on the screen."

The computer screen next to them flickered for a moment, before coalescing into a visual of the Atlantis control room. Front and center was a worried-looking Dr. Elizabeth Weir.

"Stargate Command, please respond. This is Atlantis. We have an emergency, please respond."

"Open a channel," he told Harriman, then looked into the camera over the screen. "Dr. Weir, this is General Landry. What is your situation?"

"We were discovered by the Wraith," Elizabeth responded without preamble. "In order to keep our existence from the other Wraith, we were force to work with them on developing a weapon. You received our file on the drug Dr. Becket had been developing, and the file on Michael?"

"Yes, we did."

"They wanted to weaponize it. To keep our secret, we worked with them. It was the only option open to us at the time and we even seemed to benefit from it - they gave us everything we needed to know about Wraith technology. Unfortunately, the files they sent were a Trojan horse which has compromised our computers."

"Do you still have the files?" Landry asked, looking for something good out of all of this. His hopes were dashed when Elizabeth shook her head.

"No, they corrupted themselves. But not before they sent information on us back to their fleet. Information that included the location of Earth."

Silence reign in the SGC for a few moments, before Mitchell spoke up.

"How long do you think we have before they get here?"

"We know their hyperdrives aren't as advanced as the Asgard hyperdrives we use," she replied. "There were two hive ships and one destroyer in their fleet. We're estimating that it will take them about a month to get to Earth. The Daedalus is already en route and should be there in two weeks."

"What about your defenses?" Landry asked.

"We're clearing our computers as we speak and all systems should be operational by tomorrow. Plus, we have been able to re-arm the city with the drones from the Tower and we now have the Orion. Dr. Zelenka is hard at work finishing repairs on her as we speak. One last thing, General. Dr. McKay and Ronan are being held on one of the Wraith ships and Colonel Sheppard is MIA. If you can manage, please try to get them back.

"We'll see what we can do, Doctor. Now if you excuse me, I have a few phone calls to make."

"Of course. Atlantis out," Weir replied and then severed the connection. A few moments later, the Stargate shut down once more.

"Well, this is a problem," Mitchell observed. "At least we have some lead time."

"Only a month. And right now the Prometheus is dry-docked for an overhaul. The only operational ship we have right now is the Odyssey; and the Russians have the Korlev. But two ships will not last against two Wraith hive ships."

"I will contact the Free Jaffa Council on Dakara," Teal'c announced. "Hopefully, we will be able to put together a fleet in time to stop the Wraith incursion."

"Good. Thank you, Teal'c," Landry said and then turned to Carter. "How about the Asgard? Do you think they can protect some of those protected planets now that the Replicators are gone?"

"We haven't been able to contact them for the past few months, sir," Carter said sadly. So I wouldn't count on them."

"What about the Titan?"

Carter shook her head. "It's still at least four months away from completion."

Mitchell looked confused. "The Titan, sir? Another 304?"

"X-305, actually," Carter said, automatically switching into what her team fondly called 'geek-mode'. "Mid-size tactical recon and attack vessel. Heavily armed and armored, but nowhere near battle-ready." She turned back to Landry. "Sir, even with Lieutenant Hailey working on her, I don't see the Titan being combat-ready in a month."

"Well, unfortunately that's all we have," Landry said with finality in his voice. "Colonel, you and Mitchell go to dry-dock. We need that ship operational in less than a month. Teal'c, please contact the Jaffa Council and get as many ships as possible. Dr. Jackson," he turned, only to remember the Doctor wasn't with them and then sighed. "Okay, I guess I'll contact the Russians. Let's get going, people…"

TBC…..


End file.
